How To Fix A Speedster
by XmasochisticXmuffins
Summary: Bruce is faced with a difficult decision, try to help Barry Allen or to attempt and ignore those sad blue eyes. How could he do that? Looks like the only way is to fix the speedster up. BatFlash don't like don't read! Smut in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there guys! So I wrote a JackRabbit thing and it's pretty much done. There might be some better smut at the end but that's really only if I can manage to write it out and then get the confidence to post it online. **

**Here is a new thing because there just isn't enough of my OTP for DC period. This is a Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne fic, and thats how it's going to be. You don't like it stop reading now, there is a warning, so it's not my fault. **

**Eventually there will be smut, but there needs to be some decent relationship build up first. **

**Soooooo let the games begin!**

Chapter 1: There's Something Off About the Speedster

Bruce wouldn't say he particularly liked anyone in the League better than anyone else. He considered them all equals, in certain ways, and he put up with countless migraine inducing arguments. Yet it bothered him so much that Barry was quiet at the meeting.

The speedster sat back and didn't say a peep. His mouth was shut and more often than not was looking off, his blue eyes somewhere else than their current talk about changing strategy. It would have been perfectly fine, really, if maybe he had been eating something that stunk the room up to make up for his silence. That was the same level of annoying anyway, but it wasn't happening. Barry Allen was troubled, and Bruce had a feeling it had nothing to do with the League in any way.

Why this bothered him he didn't know. It seemed like the ideal situation, no mindless chatter, playful jokes that got very old very fast, or even that mind numbing noise he made while eating. Maybe it was that the blue eyes that would light up and make the meetings a little more bearable were dull, and focused on something unhappy. His light and airy aura was gone, and there was nothing to replace it with. Even Oliver seemed to notice something was wrong with his best friend, the archer giving the speedster a questioning look.

As Bruce had to listen to Wonder Woman drone on about the need for a more aggressive image, he chose to come up with a list of reasons why Barry might be down in the first place.

They ran out of his favorite ice cream on his way here.

Wally decided he didn't want to talk to Barry because training was too hard/boring.

Barry ran out of Wally's favorite foods making the younger speedster upset

Iris was mad at him

Iris was REALLY mad at him

Something happened with Iris

Something happened TO Iris

A few he found rather ridiculous and so he tossed them away, but the others he focused in on. If it was anything, Bruce would bet it was Iris. Something had happened, and whatever it was had to have been big, to get Barry Allen so distracted away from making little jokes at what was being discussed at the meeting.

As it came to a close, the heros lifted themselves about and began to mingle for a little while before teleporting out of the Watchtower. Bruce stood and thought over going to talk to Barry, but he knew he had a meeting waiting for him and that Oliver would take care of anything that may be wrong with the speedster.

What surprised Bruce was when Barry refused to talk with Oliver, and instead shook his head before speeding off to the teleporter, it singing out the usual "The Flash" and then he was gone.

Oli stood with a dumbfounded look after the man, scratching his head in a confused manner.

Bruce sighed and shook his head, deciding it would be best to walk over and check on the troubled speedster. "Arrow, what seems to be the problem?" He asked in the usual voice.

"Well I dunno! He just shook his head and said 'We aren't ready to make it public' and then ran off!" Green Arrow responded with irritation in his voice.

Bruce narrowed his eyes a little "has he talked about Iris at all lately?"

"No he hasn't! Lately all its been is a hey or a goodbye, Wally says he's been really silent during any patrols or anything." Oliver responded, and then looked at Bruce. "You don't think he and Iris...?" He trailed off.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that they are not recovering from this gap." Bruce frowned a little deeper than usual. He then said goodbye to Oliver and continued to be teleported to get to his meeting.

D

**So that was the first chapter! I can't guarantee how often it'll be updated but I will try and be faithful. There really isn't enough of this stuff. **

**So what's goin on huh? I bet you all know :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woo! Second Chapter! I plan for it to be a LOT longer than the last one, the first was meant to be more of an intro to how things were going to be. A bit of humor, a sarcastic Batman, and one stubborn blonde that can run REALLY freaking fast. **

**So here we are at Chapter 2! **

Chapter 2: Getting The Speedster to Tell you What's Wrong

Bruce was agitated. More so than usual, because currently he was being debriefed by a fifteen year old child who was bouncing on his feet and getting of topic every few seconds. This was ridiculous and the last straw in Bruce's mind. You do NOT send your sidekick who is clearly not ready for any sort of mission report to do your mission report for you. Barry Allen needed a talking to by not only Batman, but Bruce Wayne as well.

He finally told Wally that was enough and to get home to his parents. The speedster nodded and gave a rather sarcastic salute before speeding off to get home. Pinching the bridge of his nose through his cowl, Bruce sighed and walked off to talk to Clark.

"Flash sent Kid to report to me." He stated simply, the irritation showing through his voice.

Clark nodded and furrowed his brow. "That's unlike him, Arrow? Have you talked with Flash at all since the meeting?" Superman asked as Oliver turned to look at them and rolled his eyes.

"No, hasn't said a word! This is unusual guys, even for Flash. Problem is I know it's him, not some stand in because this is how he acts when he's upset. Somethin has to be really wrong." The archer frowned and folded his arms. "I just haven't had the time to go talk to him."

"Well then I'll go, I can clear tomorrow." Bruce stated simply, getting shocked stares from both Superman and Green Arrow. "What?" He gritted through his teeth.

"Ah, nothing, I just didn't know you got along well enough with Flash for you to be concerned with what's going on in his personal life." Clark shrugged, trying to play it off and lie to the detectives face.

"Oh please don't bore me. I'm a detective, I figure things out and solve the puzzle. Nobody needs Kid Flash giving anymore reports anyway. I'll need to talk with Flash about that as well." Batman turned and left the subject to no argument. He would go to Central City and tell Barry Allen just how ridiculous this whole tantrum was for whatever reason it was being thrown. He wasn't even going to wait until the morning, he was going to go now.

Bruce left with the rest of the league, helping clean up and talk to the press before going to base and changing into normal clothes. It was harder than he thought to keep the speed limit when driving the batmobile home, wanting to get this talk with Barry overwith so his point could be made about sidekicks with ADHD giving a mission report.

He dropped his car off at home and took a less noticeable approach, something not too fancy so maybe he wouldn't attract too much attention to the speedsters house. The Mercedes should do enough.

He slid into the car, telling Alfred he was going out for a bit and that he would be home to have dinner with Dick. The drive was a short one, mostly occupied by the thoughts of Bruce attempting to figure out what to say to Barry. Reaching the small house he still hadn't the slightest idea but figured it would come to him.

Now he was expecting many things. Silence, the smell of cooking, maybe some music (Barry struck him as the loud music sort of fellow) but what Bruce Wayne didn't expect was yelling.

"...ou know why Barry!" He heard a female voice, and assumed it was Iris.

"So do you! Iris I can't just not help people! I was chosen for this and can't just drop my responsibilities!" Barry responded but he sounded desperate, pleading.

"You have more than being the Flash as a responsibility!" Iris snapped back. "I can't be alone like this Barry, I feel distant, like a room mate."

To this Barry didn't respond, there was simply silence. "You knew what you signed up for Iris." He croaked eventually.

"Well I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry Barry."

At this Bruce stopped just standing and listening, feeling awkward enough, and knocked a few times.

Iris opened the door with a single box in hand, her hair a little more messed up than usual. "Hello Bruce, so glad to see you here. Barry you have a visitor!" She called before stepping out of the doorway and into a small car, leaving in what seemed like a hurry.

"Um, c-come in!" Barry called, and Bruce stepped in to see an organized mess of boxes and sorted out things. His ice eyes ran over the half empty house and then to the man who stood a few inches shorter than him with blonde hair attempting to gain his composure.

Barry Allen turned to look at him with empty pools of blue and tearstains down his cheeks he was so desperately trying to wipe away. "Oh hey Bruce, what's up?" He smiled, but it was so fake it almost hurt the detective.

"Um, well I'm here to talk about why you sent Wally to report to me instead of doing so yourself." Bruce cleared his throat and stood up straight. "But you seem to be busy and I can guess why."

Sometimes Bruce wondered why he was so heartless, because the sight of Barry nodding and his lip quivering ever so slightly affected him more than it should have. "Being a hero means a lot of things, one of them is an unhappy marriage." The speedster said quietly. "Or, ex marriage at this point. The papers went through. Iris Allen is no more." He 'smiled' again, busying his hands with moving boxes around pointlessly.

"Barry... I have nothing to provide for you. It's no secret how I don't care much for relationships, therefor don't hear or talk about them. I just want you to know I'm sorry for dropping in at a bad time." Bruce responded with a buisness like tone to his voice. This was his Bruce Wayne voice.

"Mm, it's good to know something's the same. Thanks anyway Bats. See you round, next time I'll drop in to report myself." Barry smiled that fake happy smile, and even though Bruce knew that was his cue to leave, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Alright... Would you... Would you want to talk about it?" His mouth was working on its own. He was going to say goodbye and then leave, but his damn mouth had other ideas. "I can't give advice but I can listen." There it went again! Bruce Wayne get a hold of yourself!

Barry seemed just as shocked as Bruce when the words came out, probably having dealt with Dick over because Bruce wasn't sure how to help with his problems, Wally wasn't much help either from what he could gather. "It's a little late, Wally's going to come over in a bit and he'll beg you for Dick to come over. I don't think this is the night." His smile turned soft, and it somewhat reached those broken eyes.

"Ah, alright." Bruce cleared his throat, and shifted a little. No, this was not right, not right at all. Bruce Wayne didn't get awkward, he didn't do any of the things that had been mentioned since he walked in that door. "I'll, um, I'll be going now then." He nodded to Barry and went to leave.

"Bruce!" The blonde called, stopping him immidiatly, something that bewildered the man. Barry smiled at him and said "thank you." Before picking up a box and placing it by the door presumably for Iris.

There was something that hit Bruce, pain, guilt, whatever it was, but he couldn't see Barry like this. He was too... Broken.

"How about tomorrow evening Dick and I come over for a while then?" He asked, Barry nearly dropping one of the boxes.

"Bats are you sick?" He asked with those wide blue eyes. "You never come over here."

"I think it's time to change that. What time works for you?" Bruce asked, a bit of amusement in his eyes.

"Um, p-probably like... Eight?" Barry stumbled over his words, "I don't know if the place will be clean by then."

"That's alright." Bruce nodded. "Eight tomorrow evening. I'll see you then Barry." The black haired man walked out of the house and wondered what he was doing. This whole evening wasn't anything like him.

But in reality he knew there was a small connection he had with Barry, one that had him wanting to help the speedster through this tough time. So at that point, Bruce Wayne was going to learn how to fix a speedster.

**So this is where things start to get fun! There is going to be humor and awkwardness between these two before get together so I hope you guys like it and stay along for the ride. **

**It took longer than expected to update, school, work, and Christmas caught up with me so hopefully after the holidays I will update a bit faster. I can't tell you for sure. **

**Anyway have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate make it a good one! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright here is the third chapter! Bruce over at Barry's house, both of them alone in the living room on the couch while the boys play video games upstairs, perfect for romance right?**

**Sorry not yet. I'm attempting to stick close to character and we all know how Bruce Wayne is with relationships. That, and Barry did just get a divorce. **

**I will stop chatting now and get to the story. **

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Speedster

Bruce felt a little more than awkward. He wasn't sure why he even opened his mouth in the first place to land him at Barry's door with Dick recounting the video games in his bag. Without even knocking the boy wonder walked in and called "Wally I got the new Zombie Slayer 3!" As he ran up the stairs to what could be assumed the younger speedsters room.

The house had been cleaned up a bit with a more organized stack of boxes that was significantly smaller than before somewhat hidden by the stairs. Though there seemed to be a sense of emptiness the home was nice and cozy with a decent sized television and warm couch in the living room, and a visible table meant for company in the kitchen.

Out of said kitchen came the blonde with a slight smile on his face. His blue eyes were still dull but a little brighter than last time. "Hey Bruce." He wiped his flour covered hands on his apron, the smell of cookies wafting in from the kitchen. "I was just making some of Wally's favorite sugar cookies, Iris gave me the recipe to make when he's over." He explained, and Bruce figured that was his excuse for being a bit of a mess. "Dinner is also almost done. It's my dad's recipe for roast beef, and my own cheesy potatoes."

"It smells wonderful Barry." Bruce smiled politely on the outside, but knew Barry wouldn't expect any more than that out of the evening. "I didn't know you cooked."

"Iris usually did that, I learned but didn't need to after we got together." Barry shrugged but the slightest hesitation was there from those shaking shoulders.

"I see..." Bruce nodded and followed the man I to the kitchen, leaning on the counter next to him like a billionaire would. "My offer still stands." He stated, looking at the side of the speedsters face as he placed cookies on a towel covered plate.

"Bruce I think we both know you don't want to listen to how Iris and I bit the dust." Barry smiled a little at Bruce and glanced up before sliding the pan into the sink and checking on dinner.

"No offense Barry, but that's why I'm here. This isn't good for you, the League, or Wally. You're not in your right mind and that can put everyone in danger." Bruce felt himself dip back into Batman, his icy eyes almost stareing at the speedster accusingly.

Sighing a little Barry fidgeted around his kitchen, stirring this or adding something to that before pressing his palms on the counter and looking down as he spoke quietly. "Iris was cheating on me. He was some average guy, and he could be around a lot more than I could. With everything I made her feel neglected. I..." He trailed off and looked away. "I came home about a month ago and she was with him, and she didn't even seem to care. No guilt or sorrow, just... Nothing. Things got worse when I tried to make them better, and she made me sign the papers." Leaning on the counter Barry covered his face with his hands. Short shaky breaths seemed to leave him as he tried to calm himself down.

Bruce frowned deeply as Barry went on, feeling a small sense of understanding. He'd been the man in the bed while the husband came home, and that feeling was bad enough. "It was for the best Barry. She couldn't handle the life she would have had to live," he responded just as quiet as the blonde had been before.

"Yeah..." Barry nodded and stood up straight. It was silent again other than the sounds of the boys upstairs playing their games loudly, until he turned around with a smile. "So the food should be done, you wanna go get them?" He asked, walking over to pull a pan out of the oven.

Deciding he could wait to make the process of grief harder for the male later Bruce nodded and walked over to the end of the stairs calling up "Barry says food is done boys!" When he returned to the kitchen he was met with a raised eyebrow and a hand on Barry's hips. "What?" He asked, genuinely amused by the response he was getting from the slightly shorter male.

"I could have done that myself." Was his only response as he shook his head and began to get plates out. He was both shocked and a little annoyed it seemed when Bruce walked over and grabbed the plates from him, responding with "Then why didn't you?"

He was met with a sharp glare that rivaled any woman's and a sharp "get those on the table."

Bruce caught himself about to laugh and simply smiled as he set the plates on the table. "You're about as bad as Alfred." He shook his head.

"I bet he can actually whack you with one of those trey things." Barry responded with a smirk, and that was the first time since that meeting he saw Barry lit up and happy. It made him almost smile return, but he didn't.

"Nah Alfred has his own way of dealing with all of us." Bruce smiled to himself fondly over the man, and then looked up as Wally came speeding down the stairs and Dick jumping over them completely.

"Woah Barry this looks freaking amazing!" Wally grinned as he sat down and bounced happily in the chair.

"Save some for _all_ of us Wally." Dick teased and shoved the speedster playfully.

After a bit of banter between them Barry 'scolded' Wally and smacked him playfully, earning a loud laugh from Dick.

Bruce watched things unfold, sitting at the table with this broken man and these two children who seemed to be the light of his life. The way Barry moved and glanced around, the way he talked with the kids and Bruce himself led the detective to decide something he didn't plan on.

There was much more to Barry Allen than he originally thought, and he planned to find out what was hidden deep inside of him. For safety purposes of course.

**so here is the third chapter! I hope you liked it i loved writing it, and i really do enjoy these two. **

**Read and reply, comment, tell me how i'm doing and such!**

**till the next chapter. **


	4. Chapter 4

**continuing on the dinner situation here! the fourth chapter is supposed to be full of humor and so much awkwardness. This is Bruce trying to be a normal human being, so it should get interesting. **

**sorry for the lack of update, finals get to you and all that jazz. here you are, the fourth chapter!**

After the whole 'Barry spilling his feelings over the stovetop" Bruce decided that in order to make the Flash safe to fight alongside, he would need to delve deeper. In order to do that he would need to gain the trust of the blonde, which meant developing a relationship of some sort.

All of this seemed easy enough when Bruce planned it out, after all, this was nothing more than a mission. One of those missions he went on alone and didn't bother to tell anyone because it wasn't any of their business.

"Hello? Earth to Bruce!" Barry's voice brought him back to the present where blue eyes were searching his for answers as to why the sudden blank out.

"Er, sorry." He offered as an apology and handed Barry the plate he had been washing before stopping and entering his thought process.

"I could have swore I saw smoke coming from your head." Barry smirked and took the plate, drying it and speeding it to it's place before speeding back. "The gears were practically grinding out loud."

"Right." Bruce responded simply with a roll of his eyes. "at least that proves my gears grind."

"Oh, ho, ho, and what's that s'posed to mean." The blonde asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "That mine don't? I could show you how to grind properly." He responded and snatched the next plate from the detectives hands playfully.

Bruce blinked for a moment, standing there awkwardly. "Was that an innuendo?" he asked, somewhat shocked.

Barry shrugged "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't." He smiled "You might want to wash those dishes before your hands come out prunes."

Deciding that this was a level beyond what he was used to with other members of the league, Bruce went back to washing the dishes.

Counting that as a win for himself Barry hummed as he went along, putting dishes away as fast as Bruce could pick them up. He was glad that he was the one washing them instead of putting up with the constant impatience that all speedsters posses, no matter how old they are.

When the task was finished, neither of them were really sure of what else to do. They weren't the best of friends, Bruce didn't have friends, and they hadn't talked about anything other than work ever. The detective was once again standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Well I guess you should take Dick and leave. Diner is done after all, and I know you wouldn't let him stay the night." Barry smiled, and despite what he said, neither were offended. They just knew how things were.

"It is… but maybe I could be lenient and let him stay tonight. He deserves a night off, if that's okay with you of course." Bruce decided that to gain trust you had to give some out first, and at this point he knew Dick would be able to handle himself enough to allow one night.

The moment he saw Barry's eyes light up he knew he had made the right decision. "W-Yeah! Yeah, Wally's already staying so I didn't have much planned anyway. He's really gunna love this Bruce." A wide smile spread across the blondes face, lighting it up like a christmas tree.

"It's no trouble. I'll just have Alfred drop him off some clothes." Bruce nodded and made a mental note to himself. If he does something nice for the kids, earning trust is easier.

"Seriously?! Dude! Daddy Bats said you can stay the night!" Barry seemed surprised that they had an audience, but of course Bruce heard the slurping from Wally's drink.

"Daddy bats?" He raised an eyebrow at Barry who shrugged with a sheepish smile.

"Guess the nickname caught on huh?" He laughed a little, hearing the light thump of both boys rushing down the stairs with wide eyes.

"Seriously Bruce?!" Dick asked, ready to vault over the railing and hug the detective. Bruce was a little upset that he didn't but didn't take too much offense to it. Dick had his reasons.

"Just for this evening, you look like you could use some time with friends." Bruce nodded in response, and cracked a small half smile.

"Thanks!" Dick smiled widely, and didn't bother asking about anything, he knew Bruce had it all figured out. He ran up the stairs after Wally, their excited chatter being dulled down by the sound of video games.

"Really this means a lot to me, I know how difficult it is for you to trust anyone even in the League." Barry said a with a smile, "I'll make sure to keep him safe."

Bruce wasn't sure why this made him feel better about the situation. Maybe it was the softness in those blue eyes, or the fatherly way he looked up the stairs as if they were in danger that very minute. Whatever it was, the detective almost felt inclined to leave the house without any sort of listening devices… almost.

"Your welcome." Was all he could really respond with, and he left it at that.

He walked up to the bedroom where the boys were currently involved in their game and said goodbye, being careful to only place one near the outside wall. The detective didn't want to hear anything… unnecessary from the young speedsters bedroom. He placed one near Barry's room, and down in the kitchen and livingroom.

When they were all in place Bruce turned to Barry who walked him to the door and gave instructions. "I'll have Alfred drop off Dick's clothes later, and arrange a time for us to do something like this again."

"Again? So it wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be huh?" Barry smirked and folded his arms triumphantly.

Bruce could smile at that and found himself answering truthfully. "No, it wasn't bad at all. We do however need to talk more about the… issue." he added on at the end, not wanting Barry to get the wrong idea. Yes he was trying to gain the speedsters trust enough to find out what was going on in his head (that was a surprising enough statement but a true one nonetheless) but that didn't mean they were going to actually get close.

Barry's smile faltered just a little and he nodded "Alright." He shifted a little uncomfortably before saying "Well, goodnight Bruce."

"Goodnight Barry." Bruce nodded to him and opened the door, and as he left, he started to calibrate the recorder for the devices in place.

When he reached home, he gave the orders to Alfred who gave him the "we will talk about this when I get back" look but did as he asked. Quickly changing into a suit, he had to make an appearance to a party before going out on patrol a little earlier than usual without Robin beside him.

He didn't think much on what he was doing because he had done it many times before, so his mind was left to wander back to the small house in Central City where a speedster was undoubtedly warding off all of his unpleasant feelings by doting on the two boys that were there. The thought made him frown just a little, but also brought something else to his attention.

Why hadn't he noticed the other side to Barry Allen before?

**so here it is all finished up! I really like how this is turning out and hope you guys are too.**

**read, review, comment, etc. let me know what I should improve on and what I should do more of. **

**til the next chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N) chapter five! I'm so happy with all of the positive feedback, you guys are amazing and I'm so glad that you like it.

Sometimes I feel like I don't do enough for my characters but you guys all make me read what I've done, tweak it, and just roll with it all, and it's made me a better writer.

Here we are with chapter five!

Barry's POV

It was scheduled to be at Wayne Manor when Bruce wanted the two families to meet up again. He supposed it was going to be like this from now on, Alfred scheduling in time for Bruce to do whatever he was currently doing with the speedster.

Barry had to say he was confused and a little afraid. He wasn't sure what the detectives motives on wanting to spend so much time with him were and that alone could have been dangerous enough. With no reason to really deny Bruce (he figured the weekly episodes of his favorite soaps with Oli didn't count as important enough to blow the billionaire off) he made sure Wally was free and they took a taxi to Wayne Manor.

In all honesty the scientist wasn't too worried about the money. He wasn't like Bruce with gold bricks falling out of his arse, but he got paid well enough by the police force that the trip was well affordable.

What he was worried about was really the way this whole 'meeting' would go. He figured that once the boys ran off to do whatever they did in a house that freaking big that Bruce would start hounding him about starting to move on.

The only problem was that he was moved on mostly(speedsters were fast in EVERYTHING they did), he understood what went wrong, but he had no idea how to tell the League. They were always on about him and Iris and how they were so perfect together. How was he supposed to tell his comrades that his 'perfect' marriage was down the drain completely? That was something Bruce Wayne probably wouldn't be such a big help with.

As the taxi pulled up to the manor Barry paid the man and got out with Wally who was practically bouncing all over the car by the time they were there. After saying thank you he sent the man off so he wouldn't be too offended by his ex-nephews impatience.

"Why couldn't we have just ran here?! We could have been discreet!" Wally huffed angrily.

"Because how is a billionaire supposed to explain two strangers popping up randomly at his mansion without a single car going in or out to pick someone up? People know about Bruce Wayne Wally, that's something we aren't very used to." Barry laughed a little and walked with the younger up to the door though he couldn't dismiss how slow the trip really was.

Alfred had probably been waiting by the door for them because one knock and it was open. "Ah, master Wallace, master Bartholomew." He led them inside in his usual Alfred way, making both males wince at their names.

"Alfred, is their anyway I can at least get you to call me master Barry?" The blonde asked with an embarrassed laugh. "If you want, master Allen is fine to."

"Very well, I will go with the latter of the two." The butler responded in an amused tone as he opened the door to a living room as big as Barry's house.

"Woah..." Barry tried to keep his jaw from falling to the floor as he looked at everything. "Hello buckingham palace." He murmured, making Alfred chuckle a little.

"He will be up shortly." Alfred informed them, knowing they didn't need to know who. "Master Wallace, Richard is waiting for you in the game room down the hall and the fourth door on the right, you may meet him there."

"Dude! A game room?! Wait, Barry you gunna be okay by yourself until Daddy Bats gets here?" The blonde smiled as his sidekick turned and looked at him with sudden worry.

"I'll be alright Wally, go have fun. Tell Dick to go easy on you." He teased, earning a gasp of the word "Traitor!" before the red head sped off to join his friend.

"Will you be needing any refreshments while you wait Master Allen?" Alfred asked, making Barry feel a little better about his name but not a whole lot.

"Eh, if you got water that's good, maybe with some ice. I could really use some snacks though." Barry smiled sheepishly as he walked further into the room.

"Of course," and with that the old butler was gone, leaving Barry to take in all of the room.

It was so open, with a window out to what looked like a garden that let the sunlight filter in. There was no television in this room, but the chairs were set up to look out the window and a small bookshelf on the wall across from the window. The carpet and the walls were a nice neutral red making the whole room feel incredibly relaxing.

Taking steps that seemed slow, the speedster relaxed into one of the black chairs and smiled, letting his eyes slip closed for only a few moments. The world seemed to let him have that moment, away from all of the stress and burning buildings; all of the bank robbers and the man who pressed on a matter that didn't need to be pressed on.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting like that, but he opened his eyes as he heard the sound of footsteps into the room. They were light, but he still heard them in the dead silence, and after seeing the dark haired male enter the room he figured that was on purpose.

"Hey Bruce." He smiled and sat up, stretching out his back happily. "These things are really comfortable, like wow."

He nodded and smiled a little, shaking his head. "I wonder how long ago Alfred brought those?" He asked as he motioned to a small tray of assorted chips, crackers, and cheese.

"Is the entire family ninja-like or what? I had no idea." Barry blinked a few times before starting to munch happily. "By the way, this room is probably going to be my second favorite, because this so freaking relaxing." He commented and sat back in the chair again.

"Second favorite?" Bruce asked with an amused smirk.

"Yeah, right behind the kitchen." Barry laughed a little and looked up at him from the chair. "I also feel like you should've given me some kind of warning. I knew you were rolling in the dough Bruce but this is just... Wow." Barry motioned around them in an exaggerated way.

Bruce just shook his head and smiled a little. "I supposed to others it's a bit much. Come on, why don't we walk and talk?" The raven haired detective suggested.

"Alright." Barry finally stood and walked alongside the male. "So, I assume you want to talk about Iris huh?"

"Well that was the reason for starting out this endeavour in the first place." Bruce nodded.

"Bruce, really, I'm okay. I mean yeah I was messed up the first month or so, but I can live with it now. Wally's still around, my mood got better, and life's liveable." The blonde explained quickly.

"So, you'll tell the league then?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

Barry sighed "Bruce. That's complicated. Everybody's always going on about Iris and me how am I supposed to just say 'hey I got a divorce!'. You can't tell me they won't treat me different."

The detective opened his mouth and then closed it, losing his argument. "You have a point there I suppose." He sighed. "I still feel like they should know."

"When I'm ready I'll tell them, but for the moment I'll focus on relaying my own mission reports." He winked at the man, earning a small smile.

Bruce just shook his head at the blondes antics and they continued their way around. The billionaire showed him many things that Barry never would have guess was around the home. There were two separate guest room areas, one for family and one for friends and/or people who need a place to stay. There was also a movie theatre (but he called that one) and a bathroom as big as his living room.

"Bruce this place is amazing." Barry laughed and looked at all of the pictures and pairings on the walls of the hallway they were walking down.

"I try to keep it as amazing as my father did." Bruce shrugged.

"Well I'd say you're doing a good job." Barry smiled at him encouragingly, and then noticing the time on a clock. "It's getting a little late, I told Iris I'd have Wally home at a decent hour tonight if I could." He admitted.

"Alright, want me to show you the way?" Bruce asked with a laugh.

"Yes please, I don't think even a photographic memory could get me back to where we started." Barry laughed as well, but then added "you should laugh more, it suits you." With a smile as they continued on their way back to the beginning of the maze that was Wayne Manor.

At first he thought he'd offended the man and felt a little inclined to apologize when Bruce suddenly said "Thank you."

The blonde grinned "no problem." He bounced along and they eventually made it to the game room where Wally and Dick were still going strong, snacks and soda all over, their voices bouncing off the walls.

"Ah man, I hate interrupting game time." Barry sighed and shook his head. "We gotta go kid, your Aunt'll kill me if we don't." There was still a bit of stiffness in his voice at the mention of Iris but was fine other than that.

"Awe! Barry!" The red head pouted and then sighed "yeah yeah I get ya. See ya round Rob." Wally smiled at his best friend and stood up, dashing last Barry and back with his coat on now.

"Thanks Bruce, for all of this." Barry said with a smile and walked with Wally to the door. "It was nice, seeing the wild bat out of his habitat."

Bruce tried not to smile, but the blonde saw his lips turn upwards ever so slightly. "I'll have Alfred call you for another time."

"Sounds like a plan Bats." Barry smiled, "see ya round." He waved and walked out the door with his sidekick next to him, the sound of Wally antagonizing a race being the last thing heard from inside Wayne Manor.

(A/N) alright so I felt like a chapter from Barry's point of view would be nice so let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N) okay so I've been swamped with some stuff lately buuuuttttttttttt haven't given up yet on this whole endeavor so bear with me and I'll update when I can.

Thanks for sticking with it this long, and I'll go ahead and start the important stuff.

Bruce's POV

Bruce wasn't particularly upset at Alfred walking in the door and interrupting the show Dick was forcing him to watch. He was, however, surprised that it was Barry calling and asking about doing something on Sunday.

Taking the phone he said in as much of a surprised tone as the detective could probably muster "Ah, hello?"

"Hey Bruce! There's this awesome theme park carnival thing opening up in Central City and I was wondering if you wanted to brink Dick and we can all have fun on opening night. And before you even say that it's childish there are going to be plenty of Adults present." Barry spoke fast, as usual, and stopped the billionaire before he could even speak.

"Well what happens if we're called away on a ride?" Bruce asked rolling his eyes at the blonde.

"Bruce, I _know_ you've jumped out of a plane and stuff. This'll be a piece of cake. Come on have some fun!" Barry whined, and Bruce found it fitting the man would whine over the phone like a two year old.

"Why don't you just take Oliver and Artemis?" Bruce asked more curious than annoyed. "It's my understanding you two are close friends."

"Ah, well Wally and Art don't really get along, and… I guess you've always had things set up and everything, so I wanted to set up one of our…. whatever they are. If it's a problem its alright I was just wondering I guess." Barry suddenly got quieter and seemed almost embarrassed.

Bruce suddenly felt a small pang of guilt and quickly said "Sunday sounds fine, I can have Alfred clear anything that might be happening then. What time does this place open?"

At that moment he knew he had done the right thing, practically hearing the blonde bouncing up and down happily. "It opens at noon. Thanks Bruce, Wally'll be so excited to know that Dick is coming with us!"

Bruce cracked a small smile and nodded "Alright, is that all you needed? Dick is giving me a glare because I'm interrupting his oh so important television show."

"Yeah, that's all. Meet at my place at like 11 okay?" Barry ordered, and Bruce heard some shuffling in the background.

"I'll tell Alfred. Goodbye Barry." And after the blonde said goodbye he handed the phone back to Alfred, looking up at the butler. "You gave him the number to the manor?"

"Of course sir, you seem to hold an interest in him after all. That and Master Wallace wanted to be able to call Master Richard." He informed. "When am I clearing your schedule sir?"

"Sunday from 12:30 and on." Bruce sighed, "Dick, we're going to a theme park on Sunday in Central City."

"No way! Thats awesome!" Dick looked at Bruce shocked, "Are you okay? You never let us "take a day off"."

"Are you complaining?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No! So not complaining over here!" Dick shook his head and with that they went back to whatever show Dick had on the television.

(A/N) Alright so I know it's short but I promise i will write the hell out of the theme park chapter which is coming up next. Till then!


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N) hey guys welcome to the seventh chapter! Im so happy with the turnout and can't thank you guys enough for your support and feedback. This is literally one of my most favorite parings and I'm glad I get to share them with you.

I'll go ahead and stop the mushy stuff to continue with the story. Welcome to the carnival chapter! This is where it all begins

Chapter 7

Barry's POV

The blonde stood next to Wally as they waited for Bruce and Dick to arrive. Already the ginger had a soft pretzel in his mouth munching happily.

"are you sure they're coming Barry?" Wally sighed impatiently and looked up at his mentor.

"yes I'm sure they're coming! Alfred would have called me if they weren't." The blonde huffed and folded his arms, though his foot began to tap impatiently as well. Though just as he began to doubt, a familiar black Mercedes pulled into the crowded parking lot and made itself comfortable. Grinning Barry broke his own rule and sped over to greet the detectives. He heard Wally whine a little but soon the redhead was next to him and they both said "Come on let's go!" at the same time.

Bruce was barely able to get out of the car before he was bombarded, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He was dressed down, Barry noticed, looking almost the same as the blonde. The only differences were Barry's shirt was red while Bruce's was dark grey, and Barry's jeans were a lighter color than the detectives. "It's not like we're going to miss anything Barry, it's open all day and until midnight."

"So! You're already being a downer come on have some fun." Barry smirked and lightly smacked the side of the mans arm. "Come on! We already know which ride to start on!"

Bruce just followed the blonde and shook his head at the childishness of it all. He watched carefully as Dick ran ahead to walk next to Wally, the two boys talking animatedly about something Bruce just didn't understand.

"Okay! So first we go to The SkyScraper, because that one's supposed to be huge, and then we can just take suggestions after that, sound cool?" Barry said with a grin, both boys nodding and talking with the speedster on what they thought were the best rides, and what they should try to do for the day.

Bruce just smiled softly and shook his head, watching the way they all interacted, and Barry was a little upset by this. He wasn't sure why, but the fact that Bruce was just letting them have all the fun almost made him feel guilty.

"What do you feel like doing today Bruce?" the blonde asked, making the billionaire look at him with shock clearly in his eyes.

"Ah, whatever you all want is fine." He waved it off, stuffing his hands back into the pocket of his jeans.

"Bruce, come on, you pick something, at least one thing to do." Barry pushed a little, and looked at him with a sincere smile. "There's plenty for us to pick from, trust me."

"Ah, well, alright…" He trailed off, looking around the carnival with seemingly decisive eyes. "Why don't we see one of the bands playing later?"

"Alright!" Barry grinned and felt a little more at ease. It seemed like Bruce really wanted to be there suddenly and all of the guilt washed away. "To the SkyScraper!" He tugged Bruce along and they all made their way to the ticket booth, gathering about 100 of the things before continuing on their journey through the Carnival Theme park thing.

*********Time jump cuz Speedsters aren't the only ones who are impatient***********

Barry laughed as they stumbled off of the fifth ride, his head spinning. "This is so much fun!" He laughed and got encouragement from both of the kids, and a small chuckle from Bruce.

"You look drunk Barry." The billionaire commented, and helped them all straighten themselves out.

"Ah! Was that a chuckle I heard!?" The blonde pointed out, "Oh Bruce are you okay?! Do we need to get the first responders?!" He gasped animatedly, blue eyes shining with mischief and a smile stretched across his face.

"Alright, alright, this has been nice, thank you for inviting me Barry." Bruce rolled his eyes, but there was this small smile on his face. "I'm also a little shocked that no press came around, normally people notice me." he mused.

"You're welcome," Barry smiled triumphantly, and then shrugged "Normally you're alone or with a few supermodels, you don't even bring Dick out in public that often to protect him. Now you're with a rather attractive blonde, if I say so myself, and a hyper redhead in a scene that isn't even Bruce Wayne like." He added, keeping one eye on the boys and another on Bruce.

"Well if you put it like that, then it all makes sense." Bruce chuckled again, looking ahead at the bouncy teens. "This has been nice, really, I don't think that I've ever seen Dick act like this before." There was a small hint of sadness that Barry picked up on, and he wasn't sure why, but it dawned on him that the Dark Knight might have a weakness.

"Kids always act different in public than they do at home." He pointed out, smiling softly up at Bruce. "Don't worry about it, and hey, if you want, I can drag you out to more events." The blonde offered happily.

Bruce looked at him, and nodded "That actually sounds nice, thank you Barry."

And then nothing else was spoken. Both men were comfortable with just assuming that it was all going to work out, and dealing with the technicalities of what was proposed later.

"Barry can we play some games? I wanna try and win one of the stuffed animals!" Wally asked, bouncing over to his mentor happily.

"Of course!" Barry rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a wad of money, handing Wally a twenty. "When you finish with that game let me know, I'll see if you need some help." and laughed as Wally stuck his tongue out at the man before running off, Dick following. "Wait! Dick!" Barry caught the darker haired teen, and handed him a twenty as well. "Here, you play a round too."

"Barry I don-"

"Ah, ah, ah, tonight is my treat, go play." Barry cut the boy off, smiling brightly as Dick nodded and ran off after the ginger.

"You didn't have to give him the money Barry, we're much better off than you." Bruce stated and then realized what he had said "Ah, I mean, you know what I mean."

Barry laughed and just shook his head "It's fine Bruce, I know what you meant." He grinned "Besides, even if you got money to spare it's nice to treat someone else every once in a while. I don't get to often."

The detective looked over at Barry and saw him watching the boys with a loving smile, walking but not really going anywhere. He noticed how Barry had let his hair get a little longer, and how the tips of the blonde locks fell into his eyebrows. Quickly snapping back into reality Bruce shook his head and started to look anywhere but the other man. His icy eyes landed on a booth with about ten of every member of the justice league present. "Come on." He tugged on the blonde's arm, and walked over to the game.

Barry laughed a little and shook his head "Alright, alright! But you can't say this was my idea." He shook his head, the man running the booth smiling at them.

"Pop the balloons to get a prize! Keep popping til you get one, three chances for five dollars, ten for twenty!" He looked between them, fully expecting to get his money.

"We'll do twenty shots, ten each." Bruce stated and handed the man the money.

Barry smacked his arm and scoffed "I'm supposed to pay!" But took the chance regardless, gathering the darts they were supposed to use.

The speedster figured that Bruce simply wanted to show off or something, but was more than pleased when he got more points, even if it had nothing to do with his aim. When the announcer asked if they were going to pick separate, Barry shook his head, and the man motioned to what they could have. A grin coming to his face, Barry pointed to the Flash plushie, and then handed it to Bruce. "Here, I know he's your favorite."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at the blonde, and accepted the gift, only for the detective to respond "Then we have to go and win you your favorite." and handed the man the exact same amount of money, repeating the process once more.

Somehow they gained more points than last time, but picked relatively the same prize, only this time Bruce got to pick. And once he did, he handed the speedster a cliche Batman plushie.

"Oh how did you know?!" Barry feigned a gasp, and accepted the doll, holding it to his chest. "I will treasure it forever." He smirked and they went on their way to collect the boys.

Finding them in a game similar to their own, when both males walked up with the toys, Dick and Wally burst out laughing. "What?" Barry asked with a snicker of his own. "Didn't you know, these are our favorite superheroes."

"Oh really now." Dick was smirking at Bruce, but even Barry could tell gears were turning in the young sidekicks head, but he wasn't exactly sure what for. "Guess we have something to decorate the house with now."

"This'll look great sittin' right in the living room so when Oli comes over he can get a laugh." Wally grinned and heart the sound of music starting up. "Oh hey! We should get over there!"

"Whoops, guess it's that time already. Come on Bruce, let's go." and with that the blonde was walking with both kids, offering to buy them some soda and a snack when they got to the band tent.

Bruce tagged along beside the group, watching them laugh and joke around. Plenty of times Barry would drag him into the conversation, but he would answer simply and just watch contently.

It wasn't long until they were at the band tent, the second song already started, and both boys bouncing around and head banging to the guitar. "Hey, you kids, go get something to eat." Barry laughed and handed them some more money, shooing them off to grab something to eat.

Bruce was looking at him, watching him as he interacted with the kids. It was odd, but the blonde just assumed he was just being attentive like usual.

"So, want a drink?" He asked, "Nothing strong, we both have to 'drive' home but something to get you a little loose."

Bruce looked at Barry with a raised eyebrow, "You drink?" He asked.

"Do people breathe?" Barry retorted, "I mean it doesn't hit me at all, but if I can get something stronger than usual, it gets fun." He grinned.

"Alright, I'll get a drink with you, if I can buy them." the detective smirked, heading over to the bar at the back of the tent.

"Even if I say no, you'd buy them anyway, wouldn't you?" Barry shook his head and followed him to the bar, sliding onto a barstool.

"I would, that's true." Bruce smirked and sat on the stool next to him, ordering a shot of tequila and a simple beer.

"Well thank you, for forcing alcohol onto me." Barry laughed and thanked the bartender as he was handed his shot. It was down in seconds, and the blonde blinked a few times. "woo! Alright now that's some party juice!"

Bruce shook his head and sipped at his beer, actually sort of relaxed. It was nice, not being noticed in a crowd and being able to hang back like… a normal person. He looked over at Barry and asked "Is this what your life is like all the time? Getting to be… you?"

"Well yeah! I mean there's always the low days, and the times where you wish you were more, but for the most part I get to lead a normal life." He pursed his lips, "I mean, there was a time where I would have given anything to have the money that you do to provide for Iris and Wally."

Bruce looked at him and then back at the bar. "Why? From what I understand you make a pretty decent paycheck."

Barry sighed a little "They both wanted so much. Wally wanted to be a scientist and had his eyes on this huge chemistry set that was state of the art, but nobody was affording that, and then Iris, I just wanted to get her everything she wanted." he smiled wryly "Guess that one didn't work out so well, huh?"

Bruce gave him a softer gaze than usual, and nodded. "Money's not all it's cracked up to be Barry. It takes good guys like you and turns them into monsters."

"You're not a monster though." Barry pointed out, "Even if you think otherwise." He smiled softly at the detective.

"Hey! Barry why're you drinking?" Wally asked with a pout, a few hotdogs and a soda in his arms.

"It's just a small one, don't worry Kid, I won't have any more all night." Barry smiled and ruffled the redheads hair.

"Okay, here, you have two, I got extra." Wally said with a smile and set two hotdogs loaded with chilli, cheese, ketchup, and mustard.

"Thanks! What'd you get Dick?" the speedster asked, examining the boy wonder in confusion as he held nothing but a slurpee.

"I got a burger but ate it on the way in." He shrugged, pushing his sunglasses up. Barry couldn't place the look on his face, but shrugged it off, easily munching down one hotdog, and offering the other to Bruce.

Surprisingly the detective took it, taking a bite and nodding in a thank you.

Then Wally had that same damn look! What was going on?! Why were the kids looking at him like he was strolling through the park on a perfect running morning.

"Hey, there's some girls over there, maybe you guys should go ask one for a dance?" He suggested, turning those looks to nervous glances at each other. "What? You're not afraid of getting your butt kicked by a guy in tights, but you're afraid of going to talk to a girl?"

"Guys in tights are practically meaningless, girls can crush you way faster and not go to jail for it." Dick murmured, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at him, and after finishing his hotdog, he seemed to go into full Bruce Wayne mode. "Here, I'll show you how it's done." He smirked and got up, Barry laughing.

"Oh this should be great." He grinned, leaning on the counter and watching.

Bruce walked up to a woman standing with a group of female friends, his smile dazzling and eyes set to smoulder. It seemed, though, that the treatment didn't work, because only moments later he returned with a slight flush to his pale cheeks.

Barry laughed freely, asking "What happened? Did the teacher forget a few moves in his old age?"

Bruce shook his head, "No, one of the girls there was her girlfriend." the detective responded, and then took a long drink of his beer.

"That's it? You know, it kinda makes sense, they are kinda close." Barry cocked his head, smiling softly. "Good for them. Gotta say, the one you hit on does remind me of an old boyfriend…"

All three males looked at him with wide eyes, unsure of what they had just heard.

"What? Oh! Sorry, I guess I never told you, huh?" He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're gay?! What about Aunt Iris?!" Wally threw his hands into the air, almost furious.

"Hey, calm down Kid, I'm not gay, I'm bisexual." Barry informed quickly, "I just haven't had a boyfriend since college. I loved your Aunt a lot, believe me."

All three made an "oh" and nodded, an awkward silence dawning on them.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to make things awkward." Barry smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's just weird… If you get a boyfriend can I threaten him?" Wally asked, his head cocked as if in thought about the situation.

"Ah, sure Wally, go right ahead and throw some science facts at him, he'll be really intimidated by you." He laughed and shook his head.

"Hey!" Wally pouted a little, but did smile and nudge his uncle. "I don't look at you any differently

Barry… Well I do, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah I get ya Kid." Barry smiled and ruffled his hair. "I think I'm gunna find myself a dance partner." He eventually said and hopped down from his barstool. "Any takers?" He asked the group with a bright glint in his eyes.

"No way." They all answered, shaking their heads vigorously.

"I'll dance with you." Looking behind them, they all noticed a tall male, one as tall as Bruce with light brown hair and deep chocolate eyes.

Barry smiled, and accepted the offer happily. "Thank you, someone has some sense of fun." He teased all of the others who wouldn't even humor the idea of going to the dancefloor with the blonde.

He was led there and then the dancing began. He felt like a dork, moving his body along with the other males to the beat of the music. The mystery brunette didn't seem to mind as they danced, and eventually said. "Hey, my names Alex."

"Barry, nice to meet you." The speedster laughed, and smiled warmly.

Bruce's POV

Bruce Wayne was a man who could get virtually any woman, and had all of the money anybody could want. Barry Allen was a scientist and worked for the police to identify bodies and figure out what happened at the crime scene. He had a modest house that he had bought for his wife who recently left him, and the appetite of every cow in Wisconsin put together. They were from completely different worlds, and had almost nothing in common. They just couldn't be friends.

Yet, when the stranger pulled Barry out to dance, Bruce felt something. He wasn't sure what it was, but chalked it up to what happens when somebody random walks up to Dick. You never know who the enemy is, and that's something they all learned the hard way.

So he watched carefully, icy eyes scrutinizing every step made, and every hand contact.

That smile, it was something they all saw so often. Now, Barry was no Wally. He didn't hit on every pretty girl he saw (or guy in this case as well), he didn't play pranks, only cracked a small amount of jokes when Bruce himself was giving the orders, but damn did that blonde smile. Putting him and Wally together, even the hardened Dark Knight had to admit work was more fun, even if they all came out in bad shape in the end.

"Bruce, Bruce! You in there?" The boy wonder was looking at him, watching as he watched Barry. Even through his black glasses Bruce could see the question in the kids eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm here… Sorry Dick, was thinking." Was all the billionaire offered, but went right back to staring at the speedster.

Wally seemed to have been roped into dancing with a girl that looked a little bit like Artemis, but of course nobody would tell him that. Not until he needed to know anyway.

"Thinking about what, exactly Bruce? In fact, why have you been so interested in Barry lately? I seem to remember hearing about you not exactly being interested in his company." Dick asked quietly, a frown set on his features and his pose rigid. It was… protective.

"I was watching him, making sure what happened between him and Iris didn't affect the League, or you, because you seem to be very fond of him." Bruce pointed out, a small pang of jealousy quickly being shoved away.

"Well yeah, I am. Wally and I are best friends and I know you know I sneak out to see him between missions with YJ. Barry's always kinda… been there." Dick responded. "He's the reason you don't have to deal with too much sidekick rebellion." a smirk came to the boy wonder's face, but he didn't look up at Bruce.

"I should probably thank him at some point then, shouldn't I?" Bruce responded, and they both let out a small chuckle.

"Nah, then he'd know I told you. I wasn't supposed to. He didn't want you to think he was trying to be my dad too."

Bruce frowned a little, but his attention was brought away by the mystery brunette's hands sliding over Barry's very toned butt.

"H-hey, not in front of my nephew, or my friend over there. This was just for a little bit of fun." Barry immediately put the man in line, shoving his hand back to his own personal space.

Bruce glared violently at the man, and before he knew what he was doing, he was on the dancefloor, pulling Barry away and into a small, very conservative dance.

"Well helloo there." Barry said in surprise, stretching out the word hello.

"Er, hello." Was all the black haired male offered in response. He was shocked to say the least, but didn't offer any explanation.

Dicks POV

Dick Greyson was the second person in the world who knew the most about Batman and Bruce Wayne, right behind Alfred. He was completely blown away by the actions of his adopted father. Bruce barely even danced with the supermodels that he would escort to the charity balls and such.

"Uh, hey Dick? Is that normal? I mean, I'm all up for totally slaughtering that guy, but, uh, that doesn't seem like something that daddy bats would do." Wally asked with wide eyes as he watched the two adults dance awkwardly off to the side.

"No, it's everything but normal." Dick responded quickly and didn't offer anything other than that.

"Do you think Daddy Bats is okay?" Wally pressed, his eyes showing the worry he held for his Uncle. "Barry may have said that he's over my Aunt but if something were to happen, I don't know how he'd take it."

"I know." Dick responded curtly, his arms folded over his chest. "Wally, I think we might have a problem.

"What kind of problem?" The young speedster asked.

"The kind that Alfred can't even fix." Dick responded, and the conversation ended as the two adults made their way over.

Barry's POV

Barry Allen was surprised and confused. He had just danced with Bruce Wayne at a Carnival with the kids standing off to the side. The scientist's mind was spinning and looking for questions he just didn't know the answers to.

"You guys wanna do anything els-"

Both superheroes were interrupted by a familiar com link, and answered at the same time.

Frowning, Barry looked at Wally "Nevermind Kid, we got work to do."

"Tornado will brief the both of you, even though he might protest. Barry and I have a mission with the League to deal with." Bruce informed quietly and quickly.

"Meet you there!" Both speedsters grinned, and were gone before anyone could say anything different.

Dick looked at Bruce, through his glasses judgement could be felt.

Almost glaring Bruce responded "We'll talk later." leaving for their mission.

(A/N) Phew! Alright! So sorry for the wait on this one, Honestly, if the chapters keep up like this then It'll probably be the same amount of time.

I hope you liked it, I loved writing this and caught myself laughing many times. Hopefully the longer chapter makes up for my procrastination.


	8. Chapter 8

(A/N) Alright guys so this chapter is all going to be about their mission together! This is going to be kind of BS'd circumstantial type stuff, I know, but I really want something to really boost the forming of the relationship.

Chapter 8

Barry's POV

They both arrive at the Watchtower, the computer singing out their arrival as they did so. Immediately Barry blurred over to Green Arrow with a grin on his face. They chatted happily, ignoring most of the other League members for their own conversation.

"Hey G.A.!" He grinned and shook the mans hand.

"Flash," The Archer responded with a smile of his own. "You came in with Bats today?" There was an implied question, his green eyes darting over to look at the Dark Knight as he talked with Superman.

"Ah, yeah, taught him how to have a little fun is all." Barry shrugged.

"Uh huh… don't you think hanging out with him is a little more… reckless than you usually go for?" Oliver asked, his eyes seemingly concerned.

"Well no… why?" Barry frowned a little.

"Ah, you know what, we'll talk later." Arrow waved it off, and smiled a little as Batman walked forward to talk to the conversing superheroes.

"We've all been made aware of the very 'convenient' attack right were each of us calls home. It's small, but it definitely means something is going down. We're deploying two hero's per sector that's been targeted. Superman will pair you all off." Was all they were informed with, though most of the League knew what was going down, and the only reason they were taking their time was because this wasn't to harm anyone, this was for attention. The villains knew that they had all the attention they needed.

Barry walked with Oli, the two simply assuming they were heading to Star City to take care of Oli's home, and then dash over to Central City to make sure everything stayed quiet there for the most part. What they didn't expect was to be stopped by the big blue guy.

"You two won't be working together on this assignment. Due to the circumstances, we're allowing Arrow to go along with Canarie." Superman informed, smiling a little at the Archer.

Oli looked at Barry with an apology in his eyes, but quickly rushed over to the woman with a wide grin.

Barry waved to him as he ran over to the other blonde and watched as she briefed him on where they were going. "So! Who's stuck with me?" he asked Clark, grin in place.

"Well, there's an awful lot of activity in Gotham tonight, so you'll be traveling with Bruce there." Superman informed.

Barry Allen considered himself a smart guy. He worked the forensics lab in the police department and had been studying biological science all of his life. What he couldn't understand is why this made him grin and nod, dashing over to the Dark Knight. "Hey there Bats."

"Flash." Was all the man offered, stoic as usual. "We'll be heading to the south end of Gotham first, and you can do a reconnaissance sweep of the town. Don't engage any enemies until we know what's going on. Understood?"

Barry nodded with a small smile "Loud and Clear boss, let's head out." he saluted and headed towards the teleporter.

Bruce followed silently, the two heroes leaving for Gotham City.

Bruce's POV

Watching Barry take off had never been something that was at the top of Bruce's top ten things to do list, but it was pretty entertaining. It seemed that every time he ran off, something was different. His hands would twitch in anticipation, or he would tap those bright yellow boots on the ground. Sometimes he'd bounce a little and then jump right into a run.

"I thought that this town was supposed to be all scary and things like that. It looks pretty quiet." Barry said through the com link they had set up in their suits, and Bruce could hear the smile in his voice.

"Believe me, this town scares me most of the time, just keep your eyes open." Bruce responded through the link, shaking his head at the blondes antics. "Make sure to track his position in case we find something, Alfred."

"Of course, sir, applying that now." The butler responded, and Bruce heard the familiar tracking sound reverberating through the link.

"Tracing me huh? Well alright, I spose that makes sense, but if you find me stopping for some chips it's cuz I gave Wally the last of my reserve snacks." Barry laughed through the link, but his tone was serious.

"Master Bruce, it was very unwise to leave any Speedster understocked, you should have stopped here first." The butler scolded the detective with the same time he used for the dark knight himself.

"Well if I would have known I would have fixed the problem, Alfred." Bruce responded and shook his head as he ran and jumped from a building, gliding down to land on another rooftop west to where Barry was going, wherever that was.

"Hey, you guys don't need to worry, this speedster has things under control, alright?" Barry laughed a little. "I got my snack issues covered. Though it's nice hearing someone give the all powerful Batman orders."

"The all powerful Batman doesn't know how to cook his own lunch, so he very well can't sir." Alfred responded cheekily, causing Bruce to pinch the bridge of his nose through his cowl.

"Don't encourage him Alfred." He growled out, and ran across the rooftop to grapple right above what seemed to be an interesting conversation, at least more interesting than the one he was currently holding. He could see that Barry had already doubled back and was standing on the opposite wall, both heros catching a glimpse of the other.

"Of course it's all going according to plan! What did I tell you?! These people are fools! Harlequins! Jokesters! All they need is one small push in the wrong direction and there you go!" Bruce grimaced, hearing that voice. There were many things that he could stand, and the Jokers voice was starting to be something that wasn't occupying that list.

"Of course Mr. J! You're the smartest, most handsome devil in the world!" Harley, of course, and through a few upgrades to the mask he could see their thermals bouncing about in the room. There was a third party, someone standing near the back of the room.

"Of course, and they've already played into the trap." the third voice was distorted, and before the detective could sort out who it was, he heard a "Bats look out!" And was tackled to the ground by a ball of red and his ears were ringing.

"Bats! Bats come on get up!" He eventually heard out of the speedsters mouth and managed to stand, also just in time to hear that mad laugh.

"Oh look at this! You brought along a runner! Not usually your style, eh Bats?" The clown grinned and looked at Barry like a piece of meat, a piece of meat that he wanted. "I can roll with it."

Something in Bruce snapped, and he glared at Joker with newfound malice, growling as he slammed the green haired mans head into the wall.

"How dare you hurt Mr. J! You'll pay for that Batbrain!" Harley screeched, and suddenly she was being held back by Barry who just seemed amused by her more than anything.

"Let me go you freak! This ain't your city! Go back where you belong thunder thighs!"

Barry sighed and shook his head "The kids in gradeschool did better than that Harley, you'll have to work harder." He smiled, "You ready to head to Arkham?"

Bruce looked at the speedster, relaxing a little at his triumphant smile. "Yeah, we should get these two off the streets as soon as possible." He looked around, but saw no trace of the third body that was in the room. The dark knight held his suspicion, but picked the Joker up, and called the Bat to come and pick him up from a nearby rooftop.

"Hey Batman, don't you feel like this was a little too easy?" The Flash asked over their com link, his voice sounding a little suspicious.

"Yes. It was." Was all he offered as a response. The Dark Knight glared at the clouds as if they were the cause of all the worry during takeoff, glancing at the Joker as if he could read the psychopath's mind.

Barry's POV

When they got back to the Watchtower, and everyone reported in, things seemed a little fishy. That also might have been an Aquaman joke from Wally but the blonde didn't care. Something was up.

Deadshot

Joker

Harley Quinn

Killer Frost

Dr. Light

Sportsmaster

All captured in separate sectors, all placed in high security jail and/or asylum. It was uncanny, terrifying, and anything but a coincidence. The League, of course, was trying to come up with as many ludicrous theories as possible, but Barry knew none of them would be what was going on. Something big was happening, and it was going to happen soon.

"Flash, you're unusually quiet. Is there anything you'd like to add?" He looked up when he heard the big blue guy mention him, his eyes blank for only a moment.

"Nah, not really, just thinking I guess. I better get home, Kid's probably dying to know what I did. I'll see you guys next Wednesday, right?" He smiled a little, shaking his head.

"Of course, Batman I take it you'll handle debriefing." Supes nodded to the dark knight who made his way over.

"What did you see?" Was the first question asked.

"I saw the same thing you did, a third person but no trace. And no, I didn't get a good look at him or her." The Speedster said immediately, a frown set in his features. "Bruce something's happening, something big. We need to find out who the hell that was, and we need to do it quietly, otherwise someone is going to catch on."

The detective nodded, and for once seemed more than bored while Barry was talking. He seemed to agree. "Meet me at the coffee shop by your house tomorrow night, make sure Kid isn't around, and I'll make sure Dick isn't."

"You got it." Barry nodded, and then smirked. "Thanks for taking me seriously."

Bruce seemed a little shocked by this, "When do I not?"

"All the time, but for some reason you just went with it today. Thanks, it means a lot to me Bats." Barry smiled warmly at him, waving before speeding off and heading for home.

As expected, Wally questioned everything that happened. He was bouncing everywhere, all excited to also tell what he did on his own mission. The blonde listened while he cooked, smiling softly and putting in input ever so often. Not too long and the redhead was asleep, passed out with a bit of food on his face.

Barry smiled softly and wiped the redheads face, picking him up and taking him home. He of course let the Kids parents know, said his goodbye, and went home. The blonde wandered around his home, eventually heading upstairs and sitting down on his bed that was much too big for him now.

His blue eyes landed on the picture next to his bed, the one of his mom, dad, and himself. "Guess I was meant to be alone." He sighed, and laid back on the bed, falling asleep, just like that.

(A/N) Hey guys, hope you liked the chapter! I have to say that i particularly enjoyed this one, it was full of so much more raw emotion that the others, and I have to say it's only going to get worse.

This hasn't been my intent through the whole fic, but it suddenly turned into something that might end up being super long so I hope you like that and stick with it.

Comment, Review, Anything, I love the feedback from you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

(A/N) Chapter 9 coming right up, I didn't have a definite plan for this chapter like I did the other ones so we'll see how it turns out.

Chapter 9

Barry's POV

Barry didn't sleep very well that evening. He was left to really ponder in his life from now on, and that was never something that he enjoyed. however when light hit his bedroom, the blonde decided he should get up and maybe get a headstart on some cases waiting for him at the precinct.

Speeding around his bedroom, the speedster got himself washed and changed for the day, and then remembered that Bruce wanted to stop by and talk about what they had saw the previous evening. So he left a note on the door letting the man know that if he stopped by, Barry was probably at work and to just give him a call.

When that was done the blonde sighed and sped off to work, arriving in his office only seconds before the Chief walked in.

"Allen, I need the analysis on the blood found at Warehouse 690 five minutes ago." He was gruff as always, leaving Barry with an agitation in the back of his mind. Before the man knew he moved, the speedster made sure it was done and set it on top of a pile of papers. He then proceeded to 'look' for the paper before handing it over. "Here you go, it matched this guy from our database. A lot of minor felonies like robbing a gas station and stealing a purse or two but that's it."

"Great, thanks Allen." The Chief sighed and shook his head, walking off with his newfound information.

Barry nodded, used to the way he was treated by now. Left alone, however, he sped around his office and started working on other things, also going over the surveillance of the area he and Bruce were in the previous evening. The speedster would have thought it would have been harder than it really was to hack into the Gotham City surveillance system, but guessed that was probably because half of Gotham's finest were probably paid to keep it that way. Even with him using his ability to look at the footage frame by frame, there just was no evidence of anyone being there besides Joker and the usuals.

Frowning he sighed and shook his head letting this rattle around while he sped around and looked for other things to keep him busy.

"Barry! You got a call on line two!" One of the secretary's called up to him in his usually nasal-ly voice.

Jumping in his rolly chair and sliding over to his phone, Barry answered figuring that it was Bruce calling about meeting up.

"I understand you have a job, but is it wise to leave notes on your door about me? Anyone could have read that you know." The gruff voice sounded through the phone.

"Bruce, this isn't Gotham and to anyone else, that's just another house on the street. The only one who would think to look is the Mailman to make sure he wasn't supposed to set anything somewhere special." Barry chuckled and shook his head.

"I suppose you're right…" Bruce sighed and shook his head. "When do you get done?"

"Not usually until the evening, but you can pop over and sit in my office while I work. People do it all the time." The blonde informed, "and the excuse for Bruce Wayne coming to see me is that you need some expertise for the Science division of your company and we met in one of the many colleges you attended before this. Stanford I believe." The speedster explained right away, shaking his head. "You were so lazy back then."

"We met in college?" Bruce sounded shocked, surprised, and the blonde could understand why. It was a small interaction back then.

"Yeah, you and I had the same GenEds before you dropped out. Very often you would roll your eyes when I answered a question in almost no time at all." Barry smirked, resting back in his chair. "My college boyfriend offered to rough you up, but I told him you were too much of a pretty boy for that."

"Oh really?" The detective snorted, and Bruce could hear the hidden smile in his voice. "Well I'm glad you offered to not have me 'roughed up'. What was the name of your boyfriend?"

"Marcus Hosen, he was a Major in Electronics and Engineering." The blonde responded, "He was going to school to take over his father's engineering company that you bought out a year or so ago actually. I hear he gave you quite the headache over there."

"That was him?! Oh I've never met a person who whines so much, and those classes obviously didn't help him one bit. That company was barely worth half of what we paid for it." Bruce grumbled, "Well, I'm at the building now, I'm hanging up." and with that the line went dead.

Barry laughed and just shook his head, remembering how simple everything was back then. He hung the phone back on the receiver and finished up a fingerprint analysis that one of the detectives needed.

Bruce walked into the lab with people whispering and many of the women in the precinct giggling as taking pictures of him as he did so. "That went better than expected." He sighed and fixed a button on his suit coat. "So Mr. Allen, I hear that if someone needs scientific information they come to you." He smiled and it even seemed to reach his eyes as he pulled up a chair to the cluttered desk the blonde owned.

"Oh sure! Though I have to say I prefer appointments Mr. Wayne." Barry teased back and printed out some information, slipping a few things into evidence bags. "I'll warn you right now, I hacked into the Gotham City Surveillance system and found a few cameras in the area that night."

"I didn't know you could hack." Bruce mumbled, slightly impressed by the sound of it.

"It's easy to learn things when the speed you can learn them increases by one million percent." the speedster laughed a little and brought up the video feed. "Nobody but Joker and Harley entered, and nobody but them left besides us of course. I went over it a million times."

Bruce watched as the scientist played it all frame by frame, slow enough for him to even realize that whoever the third party was, they didn't enter through the only visible door in the building. He frowned a little and threaded his fingers together, looking down in thought.

Barry would never admit it, but he really did think Bruce was absolutely adorable when he thought really hard on something. His eyebrows would furrow and he would look so concentrated, like a child taking a test. "I actually have a few theories. One: it was Reverse Flash, Two: Lex Luthor created a teleported and managed to cover it up, big shock, or Three: it was someone from another planet universe whatever," He stated and pursed his lips. "All are entirely possible, but nothing makes sense. What would Zoom want in Gotham of all places, I don't think he's into drugs or anything, and money doesn't interest him, he just wants to beat me.

Luther usually only does business in Metropolis and I can't imagine any reason he would want to get into business with the Joker. However some big plan could be brewing and we simply need to uncover it like usual.

If it's someone from another Universe then why weren't we alerted? Usually if someone randomly pops in Cyborg has a system set up to tell us what changed in the timeline." The scientist listed all the options off, talking fast as per usual and using his hands to make motions and prove his point.

Bruce nodded to him, listening to the explanations and the speedsters theories. He soaked them in and sat there silently for a while before looking up. "I think the third option is out. Cyborg has trustworthy equipment and would have alerted us, although we may want to double check that nothing has changed. The other two however, they are entirely possible. Is there any way to track if Zoom has been in this timeline at all?"

"Yeah, but it'll take time and be a little difficult." Barry nodded and pursed his lips. "What about Luthor?"

"I can handle that part, you take care of Professor Zoom." The billionaire stood up and straightened his suit out. "You're very bright Barry." He complimented.

"Well thanks, though you better get a move on. Wouldn't want anyone to think anything about us." The blonde teased and went to typing away on his computer.

"Of course not." Bruce rolled his eyes and made his way out of the Forensic Lab.

Bruce's POV

Walking out of Barry's lab was almost as bad as walking in, probably worse really. People were just all over him, asking him if he needed anything else over and over, or if everything was alright at Wayne Enterprises. He ignored most of them, making small comments and putting on a smile if only to get out of there even faster.

Once out of the building paparazzi had of course started to form, and were shoving their microphones in his face as he walked through the crowd. Right before getting into his car the billionaire turned and flashed his best Bruce Wayne smile. "Honestly, there was something I didn't understand in our Science department, and the forensic scientist here went to College with me for a brief period of time. He was kind enough to explain things for me so that I would understand is all. It was quite refreshing."

There were a lot of "But Mr. Wayne!" and he closed the door to his car and sighed. With the tinted windows he was able to turn on the engine and glare at the people with their nosey cameras as he drove away.

The Detective got onto the interstate, and began a trip to Metropolis that he hadn't really been planning. "Alfred," he began through the secure line "I'm going to have a chat with our favorite politician, I need you to inform the company I will not be attending the board meeting and cancel my appointments. This is very important, I promise." Bruce tacked the little tidbit on the end, knowing how the old man hated when he canceled for regular missions. "This could not only affect Gotham but also the world."

"Very well sir, though I do hope you plan to read the notes from the meeting, and send a nice gift to the poor person's party that you are missing. It's their birthday today." Alfred sighed through the link. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yes, I have an extra suit stored in the car before I leave." The man responded with a slight smirk. "Tell Dick I will try my hardest to be home by the time that show he wants me to watch is on."

"Of course, have a good meeting." Alfred responded cheekily and then the line went dead.

Bruce wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to waltz in LexCorp as Batman and throw accusations around. What he was going to do was much more simple and would tell him a lot more.

It wasn't uncommon for businessmen to meet with other businessmen randomly, especially when one of them is Bruce Wayne. After all, it was what they did.

A/N Oh god guys i'm so sorry this took me so long! I just got busy and promise I won't ever abandon this fic until it's finished, this is so wonderful and I have so many plans.

I hope you like this chapter, though it i kind of short, and the next one will have a bit more… something in it. til next time!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Oh my word I got so many positive words despite not updating as soon as I wanted to and I just want to thank you guys so much for everything. Reading what you have to say always brightens my mood and makes me want to write more for you, so please don't be afraid to say something. I often respond back actually, especially if you have some nice feedback or tell me you want to see something.

In this Chapter things are actually going to start to get real. My plot is going to be heart wrenching so I hope you enjoy it ;3

Bruce's POV

Arriving at LexCorp Bruce had expected paperazzi to be there, and simply answered questions with his charm and smile. "I'm simply here to talk to Mr. Luthor about some of his work in the science field, seeing as what he does can be visionary. It's simply for more research." And left it at that as he made his way into the building.

Walking up to the secretary he flashed a smile and leaned on the counter. "Hello, I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if Mr. Luthor had time to see me, I wanted to ask about some help understanding certain aspects of transportation and science." it wasn't a lie, and that made it all that much more convincing.

"And to whom is asking for Mr. Luthor?" The woman asked without even looking up from her computer as she typed away.

" Ah, Bruce Wayne." He spoke with an amused tone besides being absolutely annoyed with her. Why were they all this way? What if he had a gun to her head?

Looking up her eyes went wide, and he could see all the makeup caked onto her face. "Ah, let me see what I can do Mr. Wayne." She smiled brightly, and then picked up the phone. Of course now she shot him flirtatious glances and he pretended to be interested in her if only for the sake of getting this to move along faster.

After what seemed like a few minutes, she finally nodded to him. "Mr. Luthor will be able to see you and thanks you for coming to him for assistance. Please take the elevator up to the top floor, he will meet you there." she smiled so wide the detective imagined her cheeks hurt her, and he nodded politely while saying a thank you as he escaped.

What had him a little confused was that she was actually very pretty despite all the makeup, and would have looked better with a little less. Yet, he wasn't interested at all. Normally he would consider asking her to go out sometime and then have to cancel for whatever reason, or leave her at some point in the night because Gotham needed him, and then she would never call him again. Now he simply passed her by without a second thought.

Pushing that aside for the time being he made his way to the elevator where a large man in a suit that had to have been custom made for his stature was waiting in the elevator as it opened. "Mr. Luthor is waiting sir." he gruffed out, and Bruce simply nodded, waiting next to the man calmly.

He pressed the button and then had to enter a password that the dark knight immediately memorized before the elevator lurched its way upwards. Bruce almost felt bad for the machine as it probably had to hold the large man next to him all day.

They made their way up slowly, and when the doors opened it looked like he was in a penthouse not an office. He was escorted in by three guards, and the large man from the elevator. Sitting in a desk that was right in front of the window, Luthor was talking with his weaponised assistant. Granted Luthor didn't know that he knew, but still.

"Ah, Mr. Wayne." The bald man smiled and stood from his desk, adjusting a button on his suit coat. "How very good to see you." He had an almost knowing glint in his eye, and held his hand out for the detective to shake.

Bruce shook his hand and smiled as well. "President Luthor, nice to meet you." He played it up of course, and stuffed his hands into his pockets as they finished shaking each others hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard so much about you from the tabloids after all." Smirking Luthor sat back down and motioned for Bruce to do the same, his bodyguards backing to the door and assistant standing at his side. "I have to say I'm surprised to see you so interested in the world of Science. I heard not too long ago that wasn't exactly your strongest field."

"Well to be honest sir, it's not. That's why I've been going around trying to find people to help me understand some things, maybe to find out if some things are possible." The detective nodded as he sat down crossing one leg over his knee and slouching a little like he usually did when being Bruce Wayne.

"I see, and what kinds of things are you referring to?" The man raised an eyebrow at him, and his all knowing eyes narrowed slightly.

"Teleportation." Bruce smirked, and knew this is where things would become complicated.

Barry's POV

Buzzing around the lab all day wasn't exactly Barry's favorite thing to do, but it was something to do. Wally didn't get done with school for a while now and it seemed to be kind of a calm day in Central City. Time seemed to drag on slowly, mocking him really. So when everything he could do was done, he slumped in his chair, and ordered a pizza.

"Someone's working hard." Joe smirked as he made the comment and walked in the lab.

"hey, I was working hard like two seconds ago." Barry returned the smile and rested back in his chair. "You're just too slow."

"Uh huh, I've noticed. Like how I was the last person in earth to find out you and Iris divorced." Joe raised an eyebrow at him, sitting down in the chair next to the blonde.

Barry frowned and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I just don't know how to bring those kinds of things up and-"

"Barry it's alright, I get it, I just wished you would have said something so I could help you get through it." Joe sighed and looked at Barry with sad eyes. "I only found out because when I mentioned family dinner she told me she didn't plan on being at one for quite some time."

"Why not? If she wants to bring her new boyfriend to meet you I can always stay home and pop over after they leave." Barry frowned a little more and folded his arms a little. The idea Iris had already got together with the man that she cheated on him with stung, but he would deal with it.

"I don't know what her deal is, but she was very open about talking about the divorce. Apparently every reporter she talks to knows. I was just letting you know. You might get a lot of heat." The man sighed, "Though I don't think she's been saying anything bad about you, most people will just assume you did something bad is all."

"Yeah, because most people assume my dad killed my mom." The blonde sighed, and thought about his father, who would most likely die in prison at this point. "Therefor I must have done something horrible, because my family history is against me." Barry looked down at his jeans and picked at a loose string.

"Barry… I don't know what to tell you in this situation, really. Just hang in there okay? Besides, Wally has been telling me all about how you've been hanging out with someone new lately?" The man raised an eyebrow at him, and Barry just looked up with confusion.

"Oh! You mean Bruce! Yeah I guess you could say we've been hanging out. He just was trying to help with the whole Iris situation." Barry waved it off, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but I remember when you knew that kid in college. He was nothing but bad news then and he's nothing but bad news now. I don't even know why you two are suddenly so close." Joe sighed and shook his head.

"He came to me, and even though it was at a bad time and despite us not knowing each other all that well, he helped me through what happened with Iris. Joe he just wants to figure some things out for his company, and so what if I get another friend out of it? It's not like I have anything to lose by that." Barry sighed and rolled his eyes. Even after all these years Joe was still so skeptical.

"Alright alright, but I still don't trust him one bit." The detective shook his head and stood up. "You got everything covered?"

"Yeah, all my work for here is done, promise." Barry flashed smile and waved at the man left. Thinking on it, there really wasn't a reason for Bruce and him to hang around much anymore. Sure they were trying to figure out what was going on with the bad guys, but actual hanging out wasn't a necessity. What was going to happen now?

Bruce's POV

The talk with Luthor was absolutely pointless. Being well rehearsed in keeping secrets, that man wasn't giving anything away on if he did or didn't have the kind of teleportation technology that the League had. Not many people knew about it, and those that did usually used it for a living.

So after a very long while and some long winded speeches Bruce finally escaped. Of course he placed bugs everywhere but the bachelor doubted they would do much good really. It was a good thing they were temporary and disintegrated after a while. This was going to be much more difficult than he originally thought it was going to be.

"Alfred, Luthor was a dead end. I can't tell if he's holding anything back or if he's simply just not there yet." Bruce huffed as he slammed the car door.

"Well I could have told you that, sir. He's just about as secretive as you are." The butler sighed through the phone. "I hope you realize that show has started already."

"Yeah well I didn't anticipate being there that long. That man loves to hear himself talk." Bruce rolled his eyes and sped out of the parking lot. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. Just… Look to see if there's anything going on in Gotham or Central City in the next few weeks or so."

"Oh? What for? Do you wish to attend another charity ball?" Alfred asked and the faint typing of keys could be heard.

"No, Barry and I have been rather busy lately, I told him we would hang out again soon, so is there anything we both might enjoy going on?" The detective asked as he drove through traffic, sighing in an agitated manner when there was a large traffic jam.

"Oh well alright then. Let's see… on next Thursday there is a Charity event run by the very infamous Lex Luthor to raise money for the Meta Humans who wish to be cured of their predicament, that might be interesting. There is a large community event for Central City on Sunday, it's to celebrate the crime going down and such, all proceeds go to the city to help pay for roads and buildings and such. In Gotham there is a Masquerade event happening in exactly two weeks from now, it doesn't say why, but I presume for a birthday party. I believe you were invited sir." As Alfred listed them off Bruce went over them in his head. Barry would for sure love the community event, and would probably go with Wally anyway. The Masquerade however interested him for whatever reason.

"Clear my schedule for the Central City event, Dick and I will accompany Barry if he's free, and then could you send a reply as a yes plus one to the Masquerade? I feel that's something Barry would enjoy as an adult and not the three year old in his mind." The detective chuckled a little and shook his head, inching forward in traffic.

"Really sir? Alright then, should I call him and ask?" The butler offered, but there was something in his voice, surprise maybe.

"No, I'll do it later. He's probably at work or just heading home. I'll see you two when I get there." Bruce responded and then hung up. Sitting in the traffic jam the dark knight sighed, and tried to pay attention to the boring lurching movements, but his mind wandered.

Why was he so attached to Barry suddenly? It's not like they had much in common, and before now Bruce found the speedster rather irritating. Yet they were acting like they had been friends for a long time and it felt that way. He supposed it was because he never really did… hang out with people much. The only person he ever had was Rachel and….

Bruce sighed and shook his head. Barry and Rachel were similar in many ways, they were both the best of humanity, and he supposed that was why they got along so well. Leaving it at that, The dark knight eventually made his way out of traffic and on his way to Gotham.

Waiting until about nine in the evening, Bruce had that new feature in his car call Barry.

"Yello'?" The blonde answered, seemingly out of breath for a moment.

"Busy there Allen?" Bruce asked with a slight smirk on his lips.

"Ha ha, I was actually rearranging my living room and kitchen and stuff, thank you." Barry responded with a cheeky grin most likely, it was odd how he could almost hear it.

"Really? Well I'll give you that, I didn't know you could lift a couch by yourself." The detective teased lightly and turned onto the exit he needed. "I was actually calling to ask you about a few things."

"Oh my god does Bruce Wayne have a sense of humor?!" Barry responded just as cheekily as before, and the man heard a sight whoosh of air as the speedster was probably running around fixing everything. "What's up?" He added to the end with a chuckle.

"I heard about that event happening at Central City, the one happening in the park. Would you mind If Dick and I came with you at all?" He opened with that one, considering it was closer anyway.

"Of course! No guarantees that everything goes alright though. I've heard that there might be a few perps in town, bad ones." The blonde responded, and then got a ping. "Ah, hang on a sec Bruce." Another whoosh or two, and about fifteen seconds, Barry was back on the line. "Alright, back."

"Small robbery I'm assuming?" The detective asked, as he finally hit Gotham.

"Yeah, some teenagers looking for some easy cash, I scared them off so hopefully they'll stay away from things like that." Barry sighed, and through the phone he could hear the slight scraping of wood on the floor.

"Sometimes I think you're too soft on kids." Bruce sighed and shook his head.

"Sometimes I think you're too hard on them." Came as the reply, some light wind being heard in the background.

"Alright alright, but I have another question for you." The detective shook his head, stopping at a red light. "I was invited to a party two weeks from now, it's got a Masquerade theme to it, and I was wondering if you'd want to go with me at all. It seemed like somethin-"

"Seriously?! A Masquerade Ball! I am so there! That's so amazingly cool Bruce!" The black haired male jumped slightly as Barry responded so enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to go to one! I think it's so stupid that every year I suggest that for the League party it's shut down."

"Really?" Bruce laughed a little "I figured you'd like it but not this much."

"Uh, Bruce, Masquerade Balls are the PERFECT place to find somebody. Just think about it, usually the gay guys are more open because you can't see them, and the women LOVE the mystery of not knowing exactly who their dance partner is. That's basic science right there." The blonde explained with that tone of 'everybody knows this'.

"I suppose that does make sense. Since when are you an expert on picking up women… and men." the man wondered, pulling into the driveway at Wayne Manor.

"Since I got a divorce and have had three people give me their number. Being a superhero really helps with the being single portion of the gig." He laughed, and seemed to stop moving thing around.

"I guess it does. Well I'm glad that you said yes because if you didn't I would have had to find an actual date instead of take a friend, and that would have been awful." The detective said without thinking as he pulled into the garage.

The line was silent for a bit, Barry being unusually quiet before "You consider us friends?" It wasn't rude, or snarky, but a genuine question. Something Bruce could understand why he was being asked.

"Yeah, I guess I do consider us friends." He mused after a moment of thought. "It's weird saying it out loud, like we're some teenagers in highschool." He chuckled a little.

"You're right." Barry laughed as well, and as their laughter died down he added "I consider you my friend too, though."

"I'm glad." And it wasn't a lie, or something that he just said to make the blonde feel better. He was genuinely happy to have someone he could call a friend again. "Well I'm home, and I'm sure Dick is furious that I wasn't home in time to watch that show with him before patrol."

"I bet, so see you on Sunday?" Barry's voice sounded like he was smiling again, and Bruce could just see him resting on the couch with a grin on his face.

"See you on Sunday." He nodded, and then hung up the phone. As he walked inside, the detective wondered how it could have gone from gaining trust and trying to see what was inside the speedsters head to being friends with him. It was a mission before, but now….

Heading to the cave and getting dressed, his mind wandered to the idea of having a friend. It truly did make him happy, a feeling only Dick or Alfred could usually stir up in him anymore.

"What's so funny?" he suddenly heard Robin ask, dressed and ready for patrol already.

It was in that moment he realized that he had been smiling. "Ah, nothing." Was his response, and with that, they headed out to protect their city.

A/N Again, I'm sorry that it's taking long for chapters, just between work and then working on props for the con I'm going to in November I'm doing the best that I can.

However! I hoped you liked the chapter, and the ideas that I have for later with the Masquerade Ball/Party depending on what you wanna call it, and hope to see you at the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N the support and love has been wonderful, and I feel super bad about not being able to update more often but unfortunately I don't get paid to do this, so work comes first.

Then of course there was Daisho Con and yeah, but I know none of that is an excuse. Thank you for still reading, and maybe one day I'll update in a more timely fashion. ^^"

Barry's POV

Barry Allen was concerned. It had been weeks since anything major happened at all, no villains, barely anything for him to protect the city from other than a few small robberies. Now normally that would be a good thing, if only it didn't scare him so much. Why weren't they trying anything to get the big plan rolling? Was it already in motion? How long did they have until the League found out finally? So many questions buzzed around in his head as he sat at work.

And then on top of everything, Wally was having trouble balancing school and being a superhero. His parents had been talking with the blonde both as the flash and not, and it was starting to get to him. Why was this happening all of a sudden? What was Wally really playing at?

Huffing he tossed a pencil at his report, eraser side down, and couldn't wait for it to be noon. At noon he was going to leave, get Wally, and then meet Bruce at the City Appreciation Day picnic barbecue thing.

That was something else that scared him. He was all but ready to hop out of his chair and speed over there to meet Bruce now, let alone waiting. Since when did he want to see the detective so eagerly? After all they had only recently officially become friends.

Deciding that maybe it was just nice knowing that Bruce of all people accepted him. For the longest time, Barry really thought that Batman hated him. At all of the meetings and every time they had gone on missions together, it was just the way he acted. It wasn't like with all the other League members, Bats sort of treated him like he wasn't a serious superhero because he didn't take it serious enough.

Now, though, they were closer than ever, and had a great friendship out of it. Wally and Dick got to see each other more often, and Barry got all of Alfred's best recipes. It was a win win really.

Huffing he groaned and rested his head on his desk. This was some sort of horrible torture. Lifting his head up, the top page of the report stuck to his forehead and he sighed, getting the papers all neat and together. Looking over what was already done, all he could determine that if he were to finish it now, it would be absolute crap.

Gathering his jacket, Barry stood up and slid it on. He stored the report in a folder and then made his way out a few minutes early. Hopefully the Chief wouldn't mind, and if he does, he doesn't come to check and see if he was still there.

The speedster dropped off a few papers to certain people before making his leave, and then sped to catch Wally at school. Pausing at the sight of the Public School, he bit his lip and then ran to find the younger speedster slyly. He wasn't necessarily spying, it was more of checking on the redhead without him knowing.

Running around the school proved to be more difficult than he thought, with the teenagers grouping and clogging up the hallway. Was it always like this when he was a kid?

However, he found Wally with some of the other kids by what he assumed was the redheads locker. Sneaking off to the side he listened in on the conversation, obviously not spying, obviously not eavesdropping either.

"I dunno Wally it seems kinda reckless don't ya think?" One of the boys said.

"It might be, but it's not fair. My parents think that my uncle is a bad guy and he's not, I'd rather be with him than with them. And if I have to flunk a few tests while around them and then pass all of the ones when I'm with him then I will." Wally said, closing his locker. "Then maybe someone will actually listen to what I have to say."

"Well he's not really your uncle anymore Wal," one of the boys said with a frown as they started to walk.

Barry was frowning as well, but followed to hear more. This was unnerving, but he so wanted Wally to live with him too. It was something that had crossed his mind, but he knew it was selfish and would never happen.

"I know that, but that doesn't mean I don't think of him as family. He gets me, knows when to tell me I'm wrong, one night he even carried me all the way to my bed because I fell asleep at the table. And now, just because Aunt Iris decided that she didn't want to be married to him anymore I'm not supposed to see him? That's just wrong." Wally got that look, the look of anger and hopelessness Barry rarely saw on his face, the look he hated to see.

"I get it man, I hope this all works out. See you tomorrow okay?" The kid sighed and patted Wally on the back before running off to catch a bus.

Barry rounded about the school, making it look like he was coming from work to pick the young speedster up. This, this was some heavy news. How could Wally flunk his classes just to prove a point? How long had it been going on? And why did his parents not think that they should spend time together?

Sighing and putting those thoughts aside, he ran up to the redhead with a smile on his face. "Hey Kid, how was school?"

"Barry! It was awesome! I was super pumped for this all day!"the redhead grinned and adjusted his backpack. "Race ya to my house? I gotta drop off my backpack and junk."

"Sure why not! But we gotta talk okay?" Barry ruffled his hair and nodded, his expression getting soft.

"Sure thing! Let's go!" And with that, Wally was off.

Laughing a little the blonde shook his head before jumping into a run. Lately Wally had been getting faster, not fast enough to beat him of course, but faster. It made the races more interesting.

He arrived shortly before Wally did, grinning at the speedster and arguing with him about who won as they walked inside.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home to drop my backpack and stuff off!" He called, and ran upstairs to drop off said bag.

The two parents walked into the kitchen where they stood, both smiling softly yet awkwardly at Barry. "Actually Wally, your Aunt is going to be here any moment. We were wondering if you'd want to go with her at all?"

"Nope! I see Aunt Iris every day, but I don't get to see Barry as often. I'm gonna go with him, promise I'll be home on time." He smiled, and leaned on the blonde.

Barry's heart warmed at that, but knew that it was probably going to get ugly very soon. "I hope that doesn't bother you. I know that since Iris and I are no longer together Wally isn't technically my nephew anymore, but I couldn't imagine life without him." He stated cautiously, not wanting to step over any lines, but wanting to make it clear he wasn't going to just hand over his time with Wally.

"No of course it's alright! It's just that we thought he might want to spend time with his Aunt is all." Wally's father smiled tightly, but his eyes showed that they weren't comfortable with this in the slightest.

Sighing he nodded and ruffled the Kid's hair. "Let's get going, I bet they're gonna have some awesome hotdogs." The older speedster grinned and walked out with the kid, despite his parents knowing about the superhero gig.

"So what did you wanna talk about Barry?" Wally asked as they walked for a short while, looking up at him with those big green eyes.

The blonde sighed and put an arm around his shoulders. "I can't lie to ya kid, I heard you talking to your friends earlier. Now I know you're reasoning, but I am no reason at all for you to flunk anything." He looked down at the younger speedster with a disapproving look to his eyes.

Frowning deeply and ducking his head, the ginger knew he had been caught. "I know I know, but mom and dad don't get it. They think that you're some kind of bad influence or something."

"Well if that's what they think then that's what they think. They are your parents and all they want is what's best for you, all I want is what's best for you." Barry tugged on his ear lightly and smiled softly at him. "And maybe I'm not the best for you."

"But you are! Barry you get it all! You know what I'm thinking I swear! You're the coolest, even when I get in trouble, you know just how to handle it. If I need your help I KNOW I can count on it. Barry, you're like…. You're like my dad." Wally stopped walking, and looked up at him with determination in his features. "I won't just stop hanging out with you because my parents don't think you're a good guy, because you ARE the good guy. I know it, I've always known it."

Barry smiled so wide his cheeks hurt, and caught the ginger in a hug. "Kid, you don't know what that means to me." He laughed a little, and then held Wally at arms distance. "You're the only person in the world I need to hear that from, you know that?" He tweaked the kids chin, both of them grinning like idiots. "But no more failing classes, you hear? We'll just have to prove to your parents I'm the hero you think I am."

"Alright! Deal!" He grinned, and then put both hands behind his head as they started to walk again. "Hey! Why're we walking? Let's go!" He laughed and took off like a bullet.

Shaking his head, Barry smiled as he took off after the redhead, the two of them racing to the event.

Bruce's POV

He knew it wasn't a formal event, so Bruce decided to dress like he did for the carnival, shirt and jeans. Still the paparazzi found him and Dick in the crowd. So many questions, and he didn't bother answering any of them.

Really, it was beyond annoying. Where was Barry? What was taking him so long? Just like a speedster to be late despite being faster than the speed of light and sound.

Shuffling himself and the boy wonder away from the commotion of the news cameras, he went to the one place he was sure Barry and Wally would end up first, the food stands.

Despite being raised on a much more expensive palate, the billionaire had to admit that the food did smell good. Grilled hot dogs, burgers, brats, of course French fries and soda galore. Dick also seemed to be enjoying himself, looking at all of the random games and people generally getting along.

Then, sure enough, the two speedsters were found slurping from large cups and munching on some very unhealthy looking food. Shaking his head Bruce walked up and folded his arms. "So how long have the two of you been here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Turning Barry smiled sheepishly and swallowed what was in his mouth. "Oh hey! Bruce! Sorry we were both hungry and guess we got distracted huh? I wasn't sure if you were already here or not, so I kinda assumed you'd come looking for us eventually."

"Well at least you were right about the second part." The detective laughed a little and sat next to him. "So are those god?" He asked with a smirk.

"Hell yeah, here have one." Barry handed over a plain cheeseburger and then motioned to the condiments on the counter where they were eating. "Fix it up!" He grinned. "You want anything at all Dick? I wouldn't steal from Wally, he's like a dog when he eats, you might get bit."

"Hey!" The redhead protested with food in his mouth, slurping down some soda.

"Yeah, sure." The young detective laughed "I just want a bunch of fries if that's okay."

"No problem kid, here ya go." Barry picked up a boat of fries that was sitting off to the side, and then returned to his own food.

Bruce just shook his head and ate his burger while listening to the banter between the two teenagers. It was like watching a family interact, and almost reminded him of how he and his parents were oh so long ago. Smiling a small smile, the dark knight ate and then looked around to see the turnout. He remembered that Barry said there might be some trouble, and honestly he didn't doubt it, but Central City seemed to support their city wholeheartedly.

"Bruce," Barry's voice interrupted his thoughts his head snapping to look at the blonde. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah, sure. Hey Dick, Wally, why don't you go play some of the games." Bruce handed them both twenty dollars, "Tip the officers well."

"Sweet! Dick I'm gonna own you in the bottle breaking game! Thanks Daddy Bats!" Wally grinned and ran off at normal speed with the boy wonder following him.

Shaking his head with a sigh Bruce leaned against the counter and looked at Barry, waiting for him to start.

"So… I was talking with Wally's parents on the phone today, and they told me he had been failing some tests in school, and was getting bad grades on assignments." the scientist started, pausing to sip his soda. "When I went to pick him up today, I guess I spied a bit, and found out he was failing because his parents don't want him to see me anymore." Barry looked at him, his eyes looking to something Bruce couldn't even imagine, a future without the closest thing he has to a son. "They… They don't want me around him."

Bruce rested a hand on the speedsters shoulder, letting him know he was there. "I can't imagine what that feels like Barry, but I know they're wrong to try and keep you two apart. Wally won't let it happen, and neither will you. They can think what they want, but you and Wally are best together."

Smiling a little at him, Barry nodded "thanks Bruce, it's nice hearing that." He patted the hand on his shoulder before turning on the stool and sighing. "Alright, enough moping, this is supposed to be fun."

"Alright then, what about this complication that's supposed to pop up today? You mentioned that someone might try something today, any leads on anything?" The detective asked.

"That's not fun Bruce, that's work." The blonde huffed and rolled his eyes. "No leads at all, it was more of a maybe, to be on my toes. Now come on, you and I are gonna have some real fun." He tugged the billionaire along, running up to where the Chief was sitting in a dunk tank. He was wet from obviously being dunked a few times before, his husband standing off to the side laughing.

"Isn't this your boss?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow as they walked up to where the man collected the money.

"Yup! And he knew I was coming today, I told him." Barry grinned and handed the officer the money, taking one of the balls, and handing the dark knight the other one. "Whaddaya say to twice in a row Chief!" He called to the man in the tank.

"I say you can try!" The man responded, giving Barry an all knowing half smile.

Stepping up to the line the blonde wound up and then threw the ball, hitting the target dead on and his boss tumbling into the water. Laughing, he watched as the man got back up on the seat when it was replaced. "How was that!"

"You surprised me!" The Chief responded with a shake of his head. "Who's next then?"

"Come on Bruce!" Barry grinned and looked at him.

"Barry this is hardly fair." The billionaire shook his head with a bemused smile on his face.

"That's why it's fun! Come on!" The blonde laughed and set the ball in the man's hand, pushing him towards the line.

Sighing Bruce shook his head and looked at the target, easily winding up and throwing the ball. With no surprise it met its target and the police chief once again took a swim.

"What have you two been eating?!" The man asked as he huffed and managed to get himself back up.

"Our wheaties!" Barry laughed and almost fell over at the sight of his boss' face. "You're hilarious chief, see ya tomorrow okay?"

"You'll hear about this again Allen." The man sighed but rested back in his chair, waiting for the next person in line.

"Are you about done showing off now?" Bruce raised an eyebrow, but there was playfulness in his tone.

"Of course not! It's me after all." The blonde laughed and grinned at him. "Come on let's got get the kids and look around while we still have some free time." He then bounced lightly before walking off towards the games to try and find the two sidekicks.

It wasn't that hard to find them, considering Wally's hair was bright red after all. The two were by one of the break the bottle games, and it looked like Dick was winning, which wasn't surprising but Wally still seemed upset anyway.

"Awe come on! How can you be that good?!" The young speedster complained and pouted a little.

"Maybe you should have thought about what I do in my spare time While." The young acrobat smirked, accepting his third prize.

"I hate to say it Kid, but I agree with him." Barry sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "Maybe you should enter the eating contest, you'd do better at that than anything else."

"Traitor!" The ginger cried out, throwing his hand over his heart and pretending to faint.

"Yeah yeah, come on Kid let's go find something to do together, these two might literally disappear if we don't." The scientist laughed a little and slung his arm over Wally's neck, holding the teen close. He did the same to Dick, but gave him the option of sliding out of the hold. Surprisingly he stayed there, and the three of them walked down the path together.

Bruce watched with curious eyes, a small pang of jealousy hitting him hard. When did Barry become that close? And where was he the whole time? How come the signs were never evident of the two of them being that close?

As they walked along the detective got a small flash of an image, it was exactly like the one in front of him, but instead of trailing behind the trio, his arm was around the blondes waist. They were laughing, happy, together like a family.

Quick as it came, the image was flushed from his mind. One, Bruce Wayne was not bisexual (that he knew of), two: of all people for Barry to date why on earth would he choose someone like Bruce, they were complete opposites. Lastly Barry was a friend, nothing more. Yes the speedster was a lot like Rachel, but the two had massive amounts of other things different. Like gender for example.

Yet, while he pondered, something happened. A large blast at one of the stalls went off, right as Barry and the boys passed it. As if he were a speedster himself everything moved in slow motion, the debris flew all around them, his eyes searching for where Dick might have been, not caring that he might be the one in danger.

Then, suddenly he was on the ground, a few yards away from the site of the blast, as were the two boys with a few scrapes on them. Barry stood above everyone, a hand on his side. "You guys okay?" He asked with worried eyes.

"Yeah, yeah we're okay." Bruce hopped up, and immediately started looking at the boys and found them both the be unscathed other than a few scrapes. "We're all okay." He breathed a small sigh of relief and stood up, looking over at the blonde.

Barry grinned and nodded "Good, make sure the press see's you and Dick getting into your car or something, Kid and I will make sure people are out of the area in case there's a second one going to go off." He informed, looking down at his hand, and Bruce saw a flash of red.

In three strides he was over to the speedster, and saw a large cut on his side, pieces of wood and debris still imbedded. "Barry," He glared at the speedster.

"I'm fine, I can make sure everyone's safe and then worry about myself." He huffed "Rapid healing you know?"

"There are pieces of metal and wood in there." He almost snapped, "You'd be endangering yourself and all of us."

"Don't worry about me, I've been taking care of myself for this long." The speedster huffed and then was gone before Bruce could argue a bit more.

"Go after him, he's going to get himself killed!" Bruce growled at Wally before marching off with Dick so they could be seen getting to safety and then help that dumb scientist.

Barry's POV

Who did he think he was? Bruce telling him he wasn't supposed to do his job because of a scrape! Did it hurt, oh hell yes, but something like that could wait until after the citizens were safe and it was confirmed there were no more bombs in the area.

With the speed only someone like himself and Wally possessed he had on his suit, and was then making sure that every citizen was at the very least two blocks away, not knowing what was even going on yet.

When he got back, another stall seemed to have already blown, and he grimaced. Who would plant bombs in stalls? Did the vendors in them know? He examined the area, the pieces molding together in his mind to try and see where the bomb originated.

"Hey! You okay?" Wally broke through his little space moment, looking up at him.

"Yeah, just normally with bombs like this you can see something that points to someone specific. They were made to put on a show and make a statement." He frowned.

"Right you are FLASH!" His head snapped up and Barry let out an audible groan. Standing on top of another stand, the FOOD stand of all things, was the Trickster. "So nice to see you on this spectacular day!"

"Really? You? How did you get out of prison this time!" he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Look what do ya want this time?"

"What I've wanted every time we see each other, your guts as streamers." The crazed bomb maker cackled and hopped down. "You know, I thought something like that would be obvious by now."

"Well sometimes people change, their goals are different, you know how it is." He sighed, and Wally groaned beside him.

"Do you ALWAYS have to talk it up with the bad guys?! It gets so boring." the ginger huffed. "Let's just get him!"

"Impatient one you got there Flash, go ahead little one, come and get me!" The Trickster laughed and taunted Wally, something giving Barry warning signs.

"Wait Wally don't!" Barry tried to stop the young speedster but he was already taking off, and as the redhead got closer, the villain grinned and tossed a LOT of metallic objects in the air, all of them heading for Wally.

In an instant the scientist was between Wally and the bombs, shoving him back and accepting the full punishment. Fire spread over his suit and seared his flesh, bits of shrapnel lodging into his muscles.

Within that same instant Bruce had managed to tackle the madman, the Batman making sure that there were no more detonators on the Tricksters person before incapacitating him.

"BA-F-Flash!" He heard Wally call out to him, the pain ripping through his body. "Bats we gotta get him out of here!" the panic, the fear, Barry just wanted to pull him over and say it was all alright, after all, he was gonna heal in a few days right? However he didn't get the chance to do so, because everything went black, and all he could hear were the many voices around him.

Waking up was something he would describe as a dream. Why a dream? Well for one, he wasn't at home. He was in the infirmary in the Watchtower, with a monitor hooked up, and IV drip, the whole nine yards.

"Ah, Damn that doesn't feel good." He grumbled and tried adjusting his legs, only for a sharp pain to coarse through the left one.

"Hey! Be careful or you'll damage yourself even more!" A familiar voice snapped, and he turned his head to see Bruce, Oli, and Wally, Bruce being the one to yell at him.

"It can't be that bad." The Blonde rolled his eyes and managed to sit up, but was met with bandages littering his chest and back, along with burns that went deep into muscle tissue. "Okay, so maybe it's a little bad."

"Barry I-" Wally started, looking at him with watery green eyes. "I didn't know, I should have listened."

"Hey, Kid, don't beat yourself up! I'm alright and this isn't your fault." Barry shook his head. "I'll be up and running in a few days promise."

"More like a week or two." Oliver sighed resting back in his chair. "You had a LOT of shrapnel in ya buddy. One piece decided to sever the tendon in the back of your left calf, so that's gonna take a little while to heal up, plus all the burns all over your body. Yet, somehow in all of that, your thick skull made it out with a few cuts and bruises."

"That's because I know how to avoid getting concussions." Barry laughed a little, resting back in the bed. "What about the Trickster?"

"In prison once again with no visiting privileges, and no licorice." Bruce gruffed, still in full garb. "I'm going to go talk to Superman about what to do about… all of this."

"Have fun Bats!" Barry teased with a grin, earning a small twitch of the man's lips in return.

Bruce's POV

That idiot! Bruce could still hear the words flashing through his head. The sight of Barry on the ground motionless, watching the bombs explode. His chest tightened and it felt as if that were Alfred or Dick down there.

It frustrated him. Why did Barry mean so much suddenly? Yes he was a valuable team member, and yes they had recently become friends, but this.. this was something more than all of that.

The Dark Knight barged in and was planning on many hours of paperwork to take his mind off of whatever this was. It was foreign, and not something he wanted to face in the slightest.

(A/N) I am so sorry for the wait for this! truly I am going to continue this, and I hope people haven't given up on me yet!


	12. Chapter 12

(A/N) You guys are so awesome I hope you know that! This story means a lot to me, being my literal OTP out of everything that I love, and everyone is so supportive! To be honest it would have probably been forgotten if not for all of you wonderful people leaving comments and reviews for me, and I want to make sure you all know you're appreciated.

You help keep this work moving, truly, thank you for all of your kind words and praise.

Chapter 12

Barry's POV

So it was decided that nobody would say anything about Barry's injuries, and let the people think that he was still running around. Green Arrow and Black Canary would cover Central City for the recovery time, other hero's making sure the citizens were safe and any threats were taken care of.

In the meantime, Barry was supposed to go home and rest, not walk too much while his body rebuilt a tendon and several layers of muscle on his back. He was given crutches, and Wally was to make sure he went home right away, nowhere else.

As the two speedsters made their way to the teleporter, Canary made her way over and smiled at him. "You better take it easy now, I mean it. If you don't, I won't hesitate to call Iris up and have her manhandle you down on the couch."

Barry felt a small amount of pain ripple through his chest, rubbing the area over his heart with a smile. "Heh, okay, I'll do my best." He tried to make it sound authentic, but was failing miserably and he knew it just by the look on her face. "You and Oli just be gentle on my City okay?" and then he walked into the teleporter before she could ask any questions.

Once in the familiar city as Barry Allen, his crutches and all, Wally popped up behind him in street clothes as well. "Hey Barry." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Kid, don't be upset really, it's okay." Barry shook his head, and balanced so one hand could rest on the gingers shoulder. "I do always talk it up with the bad guys, I would be impatient with me too if I were you."

"I know, but I shoulda listened. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I would have just waited a bit." Wally frowned and looked up at him.

"Let's make a deal okay? You be a little more patient, and then I'll try and talk to the bad guys less okay? That way we both learn a little." Barry smiled, ruffling his hair. "Now come on, let's get you home why don't we?"

"Hey! I'm supposed to walk you to your house!" Wally protested, folding his arms.

"Yeah yeah, well your parents are probably worried, and we want to work on them liking me a bit more, right? So we'll take a cab, go to your place, and then I'll go to mine alright?" Barry sighed, shaking his head with a smile at the kid. "Come on."

"Alright, fine, but you have to call my house when you get home, and I'll time it!" The redhead gave him a look with a distrustful glint in his eyes.

"Alright alright, calm down. What else am I gunna do anyway?" Barry smiled and hobbled up to the curb, watching traffic go by. The two of them stood there for a little while, waiting for a cab to drive by, and eventually finding one with its lights on. The two speedsters clambered in, stopping at Wally's house first.

Before the redhead got out, Barry gave him a hug and told him that maybe if his parents allowed they could hang out after school tomorrow before he went on patrol with Green Arrow and Artemis. That seemed to brighten him up, and he ran inside ready to ask his parents.

Barry smiled and watched, before telling the driver to head to his house next. It was silent for a while, some trashy music playing on the radio, and Barry trying to not focus on the pain in his leg or back.

"That your kid?" The driver asked, looking at him in the rearview mirror.

The blonde looked up sharply, and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, no, he's my nephew. Well, He's my Ex's Nephew, but we're really close."

"I can tell, he's a bright kid, looks up to you. You can see it in his eyes." The driver said with a small smile, and it brightened the speedsters mood a little.

Once they got to his house, he gave the man what he owed him and said goodbye. Honestly he expected it to be a lonely night, hobbling up to the door and eventually getting inside after fighting with the lock. After all, the house was big enough for a family, something he and Iris planned on doing together. Now it was nothing but a hollow shell for a bachelor, full of empty promises and broken dreams.

Sighing the blonde made his way to the kitchen and started fixing things up, leaving the crutches in the entryway.

He immediately pulled out his cellphone and called Wally, letting the ginger know he made it home and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. The Kid scolded him a bit about being home all alone, and then told him that he would be there after school because his parents said it was okay. They then hung up so Wally could do homework and get to bed, leaving the blonde alone to think.

Despite it being already quite late, he stayed up for hours in the kitchen making batches upon batches of things. Cookies, cakes, scones, bread, you name it, and he was baking it.

In fact, the scientist stayed up until two in the morning before realizing that he had stayed up much too late, and his eyes were drooping.

Yawning a little Barry unbuttoned his shirt and finished storing away what he had made, and leaving some of the bread out to rise. Hobbling his way up the stairs and to his room, the speedster got ready for bed slowly, climbing under the covers cautiously.

When he laid down, all of it sunk into him. Wally's parents were against him, Bruce hadn't even come near him at the Watchtower after it all went down, and he was alone.

His chest felt tight, and again his hand moved to the spot over his heart as if the pain was real, and it was killing him.

Tears pricked at those blue eyes, thinking about all the times that were happy in the home. Remembering the promises that he and Iris had made together, and the hope for them. Slowly, it all surrounded him, and he began to sob.

Tears rolled down his cheeks and his chest heaved as he sobbed loudly into his hands, while it all kept crashing down on him. He was alone, all alone, and it didn't look to be changing anytime soon.

"What's wrong with me?" He laughed a little, looking up at the ceiling. "Dad would kick my ass." He sighed, and even though there was nobody there to hear him, talking out loud was helping. "Bruce was probably just busy, and Wally's parents will come around. Don't be such a baby." Sighing, Barry closed his eyes, remembering the time that he had been spending with Dick and Bruce lately.

It brought a smile to his face, helped wash away all of the depression that threatened to sweep him away. After that it didn't take long for him to slowly drift to sleep, the events from the day exhausting him more than he would ever know.

Bruce's POV

The moment everything was settled, the detective teleported out of the Watchtower. He didn't want to stay behind and hear what anyone had to say, he didn't want to talk to Barry, all he wanted was to push these… feelings as far back as possible. Maybe it was childish to want to avoid Barry while his mind worked things out, but it was all he could do.

Skulking around the streets of Gotham the Dark Knight found more than enough to clear his mind, criminals around every corner, some sort of disturbance on every block. Such was Gotham, and it proved very useful when distractions were needed.

However, the distractions only lasted for so long. As he was hiding out in a dark and abandoned apartment, just across the hall a deal was going down, and before he charged in he wanted to know exactly what was being exchanged and who it was going to link back to if he could. So, Bruce attached a small device to the wall in the hall, and went back to his perch to look for the frequency it was transmitting at. However, when he reached a certain frequency, he heard something he didn't intend.

"What's wrong with me?" He heard through stifled sobs, the voice it belonging to all to familiar. He could almost feel the guilt on his face, remembering that all of the devices he placed in Barry's house were still there and apparently still active. Talking continued, like he was trying to reason with himself, and it just chiseled away at the ice surrounding the man's heart.

Growling to himself softly, Bruce gave up on trying to work, which spoke more volumes than he would ever admit. Quickly shutting off the device, he made his way to the Batmobile, and contacted Wayne Manor.

"Alfred, what do I have going on this week?" The detective asked gruffly, starting the car and heading to the highway.

"Well you are supposed to be at the Company around eight for a brief session with the board, and then you have a few scheduled events with some of the Waste plant managers, checking a few storehouses to make sure they're clean and such, a small lunch break that you were going to take with Richard on Wed-"

"That all sounds normal, would we be ready to accommodate a guest for a week or two by tomorrow morning?" Bruce asked with a sigh, glaring at the road as if it was the asphalts problems causing all of these feelings.

"Of course sir, who will we be having over for this extended period of time?" Alfred asked, surprise and curiosity coloring his tone.

"Barry Allen." Bruce retorted, taking a deep breath, the name forcing him to submit to the confusion that buzzed around in his mind.

"Oh? Well that is interesting. May I inquire as to why?" The butler asked, and he could be heard bustling about after that.

"Out on the job, he hurt himself bad enough for even him to be laid up for a while. He… He's all alone at his house, nobody there for him. It would... " Frowning a little at how true the statement was as it came out of his mouth. "It would make me feel better if he was at the Manor with you instead of all alone."

Alfred was silent for a while, before talking in a rather soft tone. "Master Bruce, I may be overstepping, but I would like to say that I think this is rather good for you. You may not realize it, but when someone worms their way into your heart they become a part of it rather quickly. There are far worse people than Mr. Allen, and he seems to… compliment you well. Maybe you shouldn't take this as hard as you undoubtedly are, what is there to lose from this?"

"There's always something to lose Alfred." Bruce sighed, and was silent for a while as well. "I'll be home soon, tell Dick he doesn't need to go out tonight."

"Yes Sir." Alfred responded, and then the line ended.

Barry's POV

Waking up in the morning brought on a massive headache from crying, Barry groaning and covering his head with his pillow as his alarm went off. Sighing, he eventually scrambled around to shut the thing up, and looked at the wall. He still had to call his boss and let him know he had gotten into an accident, and that he couldn't make it into work.

Letting out a small groan the blonde eventually sat up and grabbed his cell, dialing the office. "Hey there Chief, it's Allen. Look, I hate to do this, but the doc is forcing me to be on med leave for like a week. I got hit real bad at the attack yesterday."

"It's alright Allen, I got a few calls in, and I know you. I hope it's not too bad, is your kid alright?" The Chief sounded just as bad as he was, sighing into the receiver.

"Ah, yeah Wally made it out okay thank god. Seriously, it's not bad enough where if what you got doesn't cut it, you call me. I can duke it out with my Doc later." Barry smiled a little to himself, at least until he saw his hair in the reflection on the window.

"Good to know, get to feelin' better kid, see ya." And with that the line went dead.

Sighing Barry figured he better go check on his bread from last night, slowly sliding out of bed with more than a few hisses of pain. Looking down at his leg, the bruising seemed to be even worse if that was possible. Grumbling a little to himself about not moving that slow in his life, the speedster made his way down the stairs, slipping a few times because of his eagerness.

Glaring at the counter as if it was its fault that he kept on pushing himself a little too hard, he set to kneading the dough, and then preheating the oven. Running a hand through his hair, he took a deep breath and leaned there for a moment, not sure what to do with himself.

Then there was a sudden knock at the door, making him jump a little. The scientists brow furrowed in confusion as he hobbled over, and opened said door.

"Hello Master Allen." It was Alfred, standing there and looking so proper and out of place.

"Ah, Hey Alfred, what's up?" The blonde asked, blinking a little as he stared at the butler.

"Oh nothing much sir, I'm simply here on behalf of Mr. Wayne, he would like it very much if you were to spend the time you are injured at his home." Alfred stated.

"Bruce wants me to stay. At his house." Barry stated, the morning only getting more and more weird.

"Yes, of course. Is there a problem?" There was a hint of a smirk on the mans face, still standing there and waiting. "I Understand it would take you a moment to gather some of your things, and am more than happy to wait and help you bring them out to the car."

"Alright, um, Wally is supposed to come over here after school and everything." Barry continued, the questions in his mind buzzing around madly. He did leave the door open and stepped back, inviting Alfred inside while they talked.

"Not a problem sir, I can pick him up after I pick up Master Richard." Alfred nodded, stepping inside.

"Alright, well just let me call his parents and make sure they're okay with it." Barry laughed a little, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable Alfred." He then dialed the number, letting out a huff as he did so.

While it rang, the speedster pondered why on earth Bruce would have him over for such a long time and want to essentially take care of him while he healed. Granted they were friends now, at least more so than before, but this just… it seemed like a lot more. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it made him warm on the inside and a sappy smile come to his face.

"Hello?" He heard Wally's father suddenly and perked up.

"Oh! Hey Rudy! I was just wondering if it was alright that Wally come over to one of his friends houses with me after school instead. You know Dick Greyson? Well Bruce, his dad, invited me over for the week so I'm not home alone while I'm a little hurt. I wanted to make sure that was alright and everything." Barry spoke lightly, hoping it was going to be okay. Usually he wouldn't even think on if it would be a yes, but lately with how things had been going with them he wasn't too optimistic.

"I don't see why not, he goes over all the time. I just didn't know that you and Bruce were that close." Rudolph seemed pretty okay with it, his tone light as well.

Sighing in relief Barry smiled and laughed a little "Yeah, we've become really good friends recently and I guess he just wanted to help out a little. Thanks a lot! Alfred said he would pick the Kid up at school when he got done, and I'll make sure he goes home at a decent time, though I know he'll beg ya to spend the night."

"Yeah he probably will." The man laughed as well, and then was silent for a moment. "Barry, I know that we've been a little distant from you lately, and that you might have heard from him that we didn't want you around him. It… It's true that we thought that. Mary was concerned because we weren't sure what split you and Iris apart. After what you did for him, what you've always done, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about that."

Barry smiled softly, his heart swelling happily. "It's alright Rudy, I get it. Thank's for being honest with me, and just know that I would never let anything happen to him. I'll keep you updated on what's going on."

"Thanks Barry, get better soon." And then the line ended.

With a goofy grin on the mans face, the scientist turned to Alfred with a newfound energy about him. "Alright! I'll grab some junk from upstairs, go ahead and help yourself to some of the bread and stuff in the kitchen." Barry waved Alfred off towards the other room and hobbled his way up the stairs to gather what he needed.

"Thank you very much Master Allen." Alfred nodded with a smile on his face.

Barry hummed to himself as he gathered his things, feeling even more stupid for the breakdown that he had last night. He was fine, and was most definitely not alone.

With a newfoud metaphorical skip to his step, Barry managed a bag down the stairs, it really being all he would need with the necessities. "Alright Alfred I'm ready."

"Excellent sir, I shall get your bag for you." Alfred smiled and grabbed said bag from the blonde, leading him out to the car.

This was going to be an interesting week indeed.

(A/N) My gosh guys I'm super sorry for this junk and everything, having to wait so long. I actually am posting this a few days after getting back from No Brand and I again just want to say thanks so much for all of the support!

It's so nice hearing about people who actually like these two, goofballs, and how perfect they are together. The next chapter is going t be all about them spending a whole week together before the ball! Hope you're excited because I know that I am!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter, it's going to be the last one before the ball! I haven't been building it up enough, but the Masquerade chapter is going to be where everything really kicks off and gets everything rolling! Seriously I have big plans! For now let's enjoy these two dorks living together

Barry's POV

Alfred was a big help, mostly because Barry forgot how many stairs were involved in a mansion's layout. Not only did the butler help with the bags but he also helped the blonde up the steps, which saved a lot of time and frustration on everyone's part.

He was set up in a huge room with a window with a seat so he could look outside, the bed being big enough for three more of him, each one having enough space to get comfortable, and a television that could be it's own movie theatre screen.

"I did pull your bread from the oven before leaving Master Allen, it is sitting in the kitchen. The entire Manor is at your disposal, however I suggest against going in Master Bruce or Richards room, that may end in a rather unpleasant confrontation." Alfred informed as he set what he carried down in the borrowed room. "The bathroom right over there is attached to your room and is fully stocked with shampoo and such for your using, I will replace the towels after each use just leave them there and they will be taken care of. Is there anything I can get for you right away Master Allen?"

Barry listened, his eyes wide and the words buzzing around in his brain. It was like staying in a five star hotel! Only Alfred did it by himself, and really seemed to be the true superhero in the house. "Uh, well how about a map." Barry joked, shaking his head a little with a laugh. "Just kidding Alfred, but man do you do a lot. You don't have to worry about me too much, I'll be okay, though you might find me in your kitchen quite a bit. Which reminds me, when are the kids gunna be home?"

"I usually pick Master Richard up around three, and I have informed the school that I shall be picking Master Wallace up at around 3:15. They should both be home at approximately 4:00." Alfred informed, a small smile hinting at the corners of his lips.

"Awesome! Wanna help me make a tiered cake? I'm thinking like three would work, but I've always wanted to make one." The blonde grinned, heading for the door.

"That sounds very interesting, I'm sure the children would very much enjoy that." The butler nodded and followed him with a bemused smile. Having the speedster around for a week would be very interesting indeed.

-speeding right through time-

Just as all three tiers of the cake were stacked on top of each other, it was time for Alfred to leave and pick up the kids. Normally, Barry would have had the cake decorated in seconds, but being laid up as he was, it was going to take much longer.

So, he got to work spreading frosting over the cake, his decorations already set aside and being rather proud of them. Honestly baking was something he loved to do, it was just that with Iris around he never felt like he needed to. She would always be making something, and he would be nice and cook for the anniversaries and sometimes because he was actually home before she was.

He hummed softly, the yellow frosting covering the cakes nicely. Each tier was a different flavor. The top vanilla, bottom strawberry, and the middle chocolate. It was all evened out and delicious if he might add.

"Hey Barry!" He suddenly heard, and Wally was there in an instant, grinning and dropping Dick off his back.

The boy wonder recovered and folded his arms. "Thanks a lot Wal." He flicked the back of the redhead's ear, and then walked over examining the cake.

"Hey Kid, Dick, nice to see you." The older speedster laughed, "I was hoping to have this done by the time you got here, but maybe we can surprise Bats, hm? Whataya say?" He motioned towards the three tiered cake, frosting still on his fingers.

"Oh yeah! Please tell me there's a bat symbol on this thing!" Wally laughed and looked to find exactly what he wanted on the second tier.

"There's also a Batman, a Robin, and an Alfred." He snickered, holding up the edible figures that he and Alfred had made.

"Let's make us too! We can be on the bottom one!" Wally cheered, looking over at Dick. "Come on!"

"Alright, but Bruce needs to have the biggest grimace EVER." The boy wonder grinned, and the two of them began helping set and make figures on the cake.

As they worked it was inevitable to get frosting all over each other, some of it flying into the air and landing only who knows where. Unknown to them all Alfred was standing there watching with a small smile on his face, their bright smiles being rather refreshing. The butler couldn't help but think that maybe Barry being here was going to be more medicinal for Bruce than for the speedster himself.

Bruce's POV

The detective was rubbing his temples gingerly, sighing as he sat in the five o'clock traffic heading home. People could be incredibly dull, and that proved at almost every meeting he was at earlier. It was going to be nice to get home, and maybe relax a while before going out and protecting Gotham. Considering that most of the more destructive threats were locked up as of now, so the worst there would even be are drug deals or some bold citizens trying to be robbers.

Then, Bruce remembered that there would be a Speedster or two waiting for him at home. He blinked a little at that, and at the fact he seemed to be happy about it. Letting a small smile grace his face, he thought about what Alfred had said the night before, and allowed himself to feel that happiness.

After that, the five o'clock rush didn't seem too incredibly awful, and he was home around six. Most of the lights were on, so he was curious as to what was happening while on his way up to the door. "Master Wayne, it's good to see you." Alfred greeted him there as per usual, though there was a smirk in his eyes.

"Alfred," Bruce nodded to him and raised a brow at the man. "Where are our guest or guests?" He asked, figuring that Wally may have come to spend time with his Uncle after school.

"They're in the kitchen with Master Richard. It seems that they were spending most of the time after school making dinner and dessert themselves. I was, how you say, 'Kicked out' of the kitchen." The butler informed and took the dark knight's coat.

"Really?" Bruce hummed, and started off for the kitchen. "I bet it's a mess." He laughed a little under his breath, figuring that he was being followed.

"Indeed it was the last time I went and checked. However they might have cleaned up since then, though I doubt it very much." Alfred chuckled and did follow the detective, just as curious as to what was going on.

The two of them made their way into the kitchen, finding it surprisingly organized despite a few things remaining out to be cleaned. The blonde was just pulling something out of the oven with Dick gathering plates and Wally getting a wide variety of sodas and some water out.

As they entered further, Bruce examining what was going on with a bemused smile on his face, Barry looked up sharply. "Hey! It's not all ready yet get to the table right now!" He huffed, folding his arms after setting the hot dish on the counter.

"Whatever it is, it smells amazing." Bruce chuckled and raised his hands in defense. "I'll be in the dining room, calm down." He hummed, however, he did manage to get a peek at what was in the pan, it looking like lasagna.

"Get out!" Barry tossed a spoon at him impatiently, laughing a little as it hit the detective right in the bicep.

"Alright alright! Calm down!" Bruce chuckled and made his way out of the kitchen. There was a warmth in his chest, it spreading all over. The sight of those blonde bangs in his face just brushing his eyebrows stuck in his mind, surprising himself for a moment. It was incredibly… inappropriate… but attractive.

A light blush dusted the dark knight's cheeks, and he found himself quickly sitting down to hide in his hands like he was in thought. It wasn't necessarily untrue, considering at the moment he was contemplating his sexuality.

Barry Allen as attractive, it wasn't that hard to admit because as standards went Barry was above them. The hard part was admitting that as more than just a friend noting that another friend was attractive, because that was not where his mind was going. His mind was traveling down a road that Bruce wasn't sure if he was ready for. That image was burned into his mind, however, and refused to go away. Barry slightly bent over, and his cheeks a little flushed from cooking all day.

"Here it all is!" Bruce looked up sharply when he heard the speedsters voice, watching him hobble in the door with a small amount of help from Alfred as he carried the previously observed pan. He had a large smile on his face, setting it down and having to steady himself a little on a nearby chair before sitting down. He was about one space from Bruce, presumably leaving that for Dick if he wanted it.

"It smells delicious." Bruce nodded to him, and couldn't help but return that bright smile with his own.

"You bet it does!" Wally piped up before speeding around the table and setting it for everyone. He then took a seat across from Barry, "We helped make it, so it's gunna be great, right Dick?"

"It'll definitely taste better considering that Wally just did what Barry told him to do." The boy wonder commented with a laugh, plopping in his seat next to Wally.

"No kidding." The blonde laughed and teased his nephew a bit before standing up slowly and going to cut up the lasagna.

"Master Allen please sit, I insist. Your injuries should only be strained so much in one day." Alfred set a hand gently on the speedsters shoulder, and then proceeded to go around and make sure that everyone had a serving of the pasta along with some of the green beans that had made their way to the table.

"Ah, okay I guess." Barry blinked a little and sat back down, watching him. "If we're gunna play at that game then why don't you sit with us and eat?"

Bruce simply shook his head, having tried that before. Alfred was odd, to say the least. Granted that helped him fit into the family flawlessly, however when it came to doing things with the family like eating dinner, Alfred simply refused.

"That is probably not going to happen Master Allen." Alfred shook his head, standing back with a small smile on the edge of his lips.

"Come on! Wally's already got a place set for you, and you wouldn't want to deny your guests a request would you?" Barry smirked, and motioned to the chair next to him, the redhead having ever so slyly set out a plate and such for the butler as well.

Alfred simply shook his head, walking over and sitting very regal in said chair. "You are quite cunning Master Allen." He complimented and got himself some of the lasagna.

"Well thank you." Barry grinned, and they all started to dig in now that the debacle was done.

Bruce himself was rather impressed, and a little jealous. It was always very hard for him to get Alfred to sit at the table with them, and he had only succeeded once after many years of trying. It seemed that he really did have much to learn from Barry Allen.

One thing that he planned to learn was how you could tell if you were into men, because at the moment the confusion was too much to bear. The images of Barry in the kitchen were still playing in his mind, as if it was from some movie, and they just kept getting better. Even looking at the speedster during dinner was hard, his smile contagious and it just made the room light up.

_This is going to be an interesting week _Bruce thought to himself, and as Barry pulled him into the conversation, that smile focused at him for a few beautiful moments, he couldn't help but return the gesture. _Interesting indeed. _

**MONDAY**

Bruce's POV

After waking up and heading to breakfast to see Dick before headed to school, Bruce was faced with a rather adorable Blonde with bed head. His hair was all over the place, and a yawn left him as he limped into the dining room.

"M'rning." He mumbled with a sleepy smile on his face as Alfred brought him a cup of coffee, sugar, and cream. "Thank you."

"Good morning." Bruce chuckled and shook his head while drinking his own coffee.

"I do hope you go to the Masquerade like that." Alfred commented with a smirk. "I feel like it would be the best costume there."

The both of them just looked up at him, incredibly confused as to what he was talking about.

"Oh don't tell me you forgot? It is this Saturday sir, I have already taken the liberty of getting you a suit and mask." Alfred informed.

"I totally forgot about that, I still have to rent a suit for that." Barry laughed a little, smiling sheepishly.

"Rent a suit?" Bruce raised an eyebrow at him, "There is no way, you need a suit Barry."

"No I don't when would I wear it?" Barry laughed, sipping from his coffee. "It's not like my job requires one."

"Any special occasion, maybe if you were to go out on a date, or if you were to accompany me to any other events." Bruce shrugged, looking at the blonde. "I feel like you would be a wonderful addition to any party."

"So you're saying you think I'm fun?" Barry grinned over his cup.

"Yes, and since I do, we'll go and get you a suit tomorrow after I'm finished. I should get done early." Bruce stated before getting up and smiling a little. "What do you think about rabbits?"

"I think they're cute, they're pretty fast animals so we'd get along well." Barry chuckled, "Why?"

"I think I have an idea, that's all. Have a relaxing day Barry." The detective nodded to him, and turned with a notion in his head. A small idea that might just be perfect for the blonde.

**TUESDAY**

Barry's POV

Walking into the suit shop was like walking into Victorias Secret in sweatpants. He felt like he was hardly fancy enough for any of the items on display, hell, like he wasn't fancy enough to even stand outside.

Yet there he was, waiting with Bruce for the tailor to come out and start taking his measurements.

The man that walked out was shorter than them, but his head came up to about Barry's nose. "Mr. Wayne, how nice to see you." He smiled, his greying brown hair slicked back and in a plain grey suit himself.

"How nice to see you too Charlie, my friend here just needs a suit for the Masquerade that's being held this Saturday." Bruce smiled at the man and shook his hand.

"This Saturday hm? You really like testing me don't you." the tailor chuckled and looked Barry over. "Well let's start then shall we? After all, the deadline is quite close. Do you have an idea as t what you would like?"

"Ah, well no not really. This is my first time getting a suit." Barry laughed sheepishly and scratched his chin.

"I have an idea, it's going to go well with his mask." Bruce smiled and walked over to the tailor. The two of them started talking about colors and compliments, things that Barry really didn't understand. He simply shook his head with a sigh and looked over at the full body mirror. Imagining himself in a suit wasn't something he had ever really done. Even his supersuit wasn't something that he came up with.

"Alright!" The tailors voice pulled him out of his thought process, smiling at him. "Let's get going shall we? I think I have the perfect suit." He grinned, and suddenly the speedster was whisked away.

After a rather long time, longer than the blonde would have liked, Barry was standing there with a white suit on, a red button up shirt under it, and a black silk tie to match. It was a little tight in the shoulders and on the hips, but those things could be fixed. "Wow, it.. It looks amazing." He blinked.

"That really was a great choice." The tailor nodded as both he and Bruce looked the man over. "Now shoes to match!" He grinned and walked off with the intention of finding the perfect pair.

Looking over at Bruce Barry limped over to the chair to sit down, sighing a little. "This is way too much, you don't need to do this you know."

"No, it's alright. It's… entertaining buying things for others. More fun than buying them for myself that's for sure. Besides, you deserve something nice." Bruce smiled softly at him, and handed him a cup of water.

Accepting the drink, the blonde smiled a little. "You know, you seem different." He commented. "Happier, a little less rigid."

Bruce's eyes widened a little, and he frowned while looking off to the side. "Do I?"

"It's not a bad thing, really. You really should be happier, you deserve to be happier." Barry grinned. "Like I said before, smiling suits you."

"I think it suits you more than myself." Bruce chuckled, and looked over as the tailor came back with a pair of black dress shoes so shiny that you could use them for a mirror.

**WEDNESDAY**

Barry's POV

Charlie seemed to work quickly for high paying customers, because around noon there was a package dropped off with the suit inside of it.

Alfred took it up to his room for him, and even helped him change his bandages. The muscle tissue seemed to finally start rebuilding itself, which meant that he might be free to not have his back bandaged at the party.

Bruce took his day off to spend some time with Dick, taking the boy out of school to do so. That left the two of them, Alfred and Barry, to entertain themselves. That mostly consisted of Alfred making sure that the blonde was taking care of his injuries properly and then the blonde making sure that Alfred spent less time as a butler.

The two of them got along well, much more than anyone could have anticipated. They were like peas in a pod, and when Oliver came over to watch soap operas with Barry, Alfred even joined them and seemed to get into it.

However, the more time that Barry spent at Wayne Manor, the more at home he felt. It was starting to become concerning because if he got too comfortable, he might overstay his welcome.

**THURSDAY**

Bruce's POV

Having Barry around the house was more relaxing than anyone could have imagined. He was always there with laughter and a bright smile. Alfred even seemed to be relaxing more about doing his job every moment of the day. Granted he still did his job fantastically but he wasn't the Butler all the time anymore, at least, he didn't seem to be.

Barry was a little sun that seemed to be there just for them, to brighten their day, and to break through the barriers on the detective's heart.

Every morning they had breakfast and coffee together, bantering back and forth, and every morning his day seemed to get better. Even though he had just started to acknowledge any feelings for the speedster, all he could do was get more and more involved with the man.

Like on this particular morning, Barry tried to argue with Alfred and take his own dishes in to wash them.

"Alfred I'm fine! This is the best I've felt in days trust me!" He tried, however as the words came out of his mouth his face scrunched up in pain. Dropping to the floor, Bruce was over there faster than anyone could have predicted.

The detective helped him on the chair, and even though he didn't say anything, there was this flash of realization in the blondes eyes as they watched him. Bruce was worried and above that, Bruce was scared.

Barry smiled a little, his cheeks a light pink. "I'm okay," He laughed it off, resting a hand on the detective's shoulder. "I think that was the tendon starting to attach itself."

"Well at least we know you'll be able to dance by Saturday." Bruce smirked, standing up and straightening out his suit. "After all, I was rather looking forward to sharing another spontaneous dance." With that, the Dark Knight walked away. He could feel the shocked stares on his back, but didn't bother turning to explain himself.

Granted was it out of character, only a little if you put Barry's gender into the equation. However, as they spent more and more time together, it seemed more and more like the speedsters gender was no issue at all.

Even as he was commuting to Wayne Enterprises, Bruce was thinking about how happy Barry would make Dick as a parental figure, at least an official one. He was thinking about how happy Barry would make him, to wake up every morning to that smiling face, comfort him when the smiles were in short supply.

A strange feeling welled up inside his chest, and Bruce passed a hand over his heart. Taking a deep breath, the man realized this was something he wanted. This was something he would be willing to fight for.

**FRIDAY**

Bruce's POV

On his lunch break, Bruce excused himself. He walked into a private office and sat himself down dialing the Manor's home number.

"Wayne Manor, Alfred speaking." The butler answered cheerfully, and in the background he could hear Barry laughing.

"Alfred, I have a question for you." Bruce started, "However I would appreciate it if Barry couldn't overhear."

"Of course sir, Master Allen I will return momentarily." He informed the seemingly anxious blonde, and some rustling could be heard. "How can I be of assistance Master Wayne?"

"I would like your help. This evening I would like to ask Barry to go with me tomorrow as my Date, not my friend." The man stated boldly, and not the slightest doubt was evident in his tone or face. "However, I don't want to make things uncomfortable. I just-"

"You would like me to snoop." Alfred finished with a smirk on his face, Bruce didn't even have to see it.

"Yes, I would very much like you to do just that." Bruce sighed.

Barry's POV

When Alfred came back into the kitchen to help with the sugar cookie explosion they had going on, he seemed rather cheeky.

Raising a brow at the man in question, the speedsters hands became a blurr frosting the cookies. "What's got you looking so mischievous?"

"Oh nothing, just that I knew I was right is all." The butler kept his face the same way, only it seemed to get more intense. "And I know I'm right about you as well. You like Master Wayne, quite a bit. More than friends."

Barry Blushed at the statements, fumbling with the cookies and some of them dropping to the floor. "U-Uh, um…" He looked down, "Well, I guess if the opportunity came about and I knew that he was serious I would consider it, b-but Bruce is straight. I don't go for straight men Alfred."

"Tonight will be very interesting then." The butler chuckled and helped to clean up the mess.

Bruce's POV

**-That Evening-**

When Bruce got home, he immediately began to prepare for what he wanted to do. Dick and Wally were going to a movie with Alfred to accompany them. Of course, because Barry is himself, he managed to change things by speeding around the house in excitement at finally being able to do so. His body had recovered enough so that he could indeed run safely, just not at his full potential. He would be on leave for another week yet just to make sure that everything was working properly.

However, when the blonde finally seemed to calm down and exhaust himself, the two seated for dinner.

Bruce was treated to Barry's more homestyle cooking again, this time with a roast and mashed potatoes.

As they ate, it was civil conversation, nothing hinting at how nervous the dark knight was, even if he knew the answer was absolutely going to be yes.

It was only when they were doing the dishes, like the very first time that they spent an evening together, that anything started to show.

Bruce's hands being a little jerky as he handed Barry plates, he began. "So are you ready for the party tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah! I still wish you'd let me see my mask beforehand." Barry stuck his tongue out playfully with a chuckle.

"That's good." Bruce chuckled, and handed him another plate. "I um, I've actually been thinking." Before Barry could speed off with the plate, Bruce took it and set it on the counter while his one hand held the Speedsters wrist. "After spending all of the time that we have been together, Barry…" he trailed off, and laughed a little. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

The blonde was blushing harder than Bruce had ever seen him, and realization dawned on his face. "You put Alfred up to it earlier didn't you!?"

"I did! I did I'm sorry, but… I couldn't risk ruining our friendship because of something one sided." Bruce sighed and looked at him, and for the first time their eyes matched. Both soft and full of nothing but feelings for the other. "I would like you to go with me to the Masquerade tomorrow."

"I would really like that." Barry laughed a little, holding onto the man's hand lightly.

(A/N) IT FINALLY HAPPENED! I'm sorry for the long wait but this chapter took FOREVER. However I hope you enjoyed it, and oh my goodness they took the first step!

Next is the party and OH is it going to be FANTASTIC

As always thanks so much for reading and your amazing feedback, it helps move this story along, love you guys.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Welcome to the Masquerade Chapter! I've been really excited about this and am so happy to finally give it to all of you! I won't say much other than I'm really excited so let's get going shall we?

Bruce's POV

Bruce somehow managed to have the day of the masquerade off, and since Barry was already spending the day with Wally since he felt better, he decided to spend the day with Dick. The two of them had gotten up early and gone to breakfast, then proceeded to some of Bruce's favorite spots as a child.

They were just walking through one of the parks, a small smile on the edge of his lips as the boy wonder seemed to be enjoying himself. Now both he and Barry had agreed not to say much to the kids about them, not sure where everything was headed. After all this would be their first date. However Bruce was incredibly curious as to the boys thoughts, so he decided to pick his brain. "So, I know that you and Barry are pretty close, but what do you think of him?"

Dick looked up at him, and even through the sunglasses the detective could feel the curiosity burning. "Well I think he's a little goofy, but that's just how speedsters are. He really cares a lot and tries his hardest to be taken seriously and still be who he is."

"Hmm, very thoughtful answer." Bruce nodded and looked up at the trees, watching the branches sway in the wind.

"Bruce… why are you so interested in Barry? I just… It doesn't make sense." Dick asked, stopping him by grabbing the sleeve of his coat. It was clear that the boy wonder was conflicted. There was Bruce, who he was supposed to trust, the man closest to being his father, and then there was Barry, the one man who seemed to get him out of his shell and to have a somewhat normal childhood every once in awhile.

Bruce looked down at him, a little shocked, and then smiled softly. "Don't worry, just trust me okay?" he rested a hand on the boy wonders shoulder, eyes soft.

Dick still seemed to be confused, but nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Okay, I trust you." He sighed, and walked with the man until they reached their car.

Barry's POV

The two speedsters were out in the middle of nowhere, running through valley's and around mountains somewhere in Asia.

Laughing Barry stopped on the peak of one, moving the goggles up so he could see. It was chilly even with them running like they were, but the moonlight on the snow made quite the view. "Alright Kid, let's get out the provisions." He grinned, parking it on the peak and making room for the readhead.

"Awesome!" Wally grinned and sat next to him, moving his own signature goggles out of the way. The redhead watched as Barry unloaded the obscene amount of snacks from bags he hid under his coat to make it easier to run.

They munched quietly as wind blew the snow from the mountain tops in giant swirls, the moon making it almost look like magic.

"Hey Barry…" Wally started after taking a few large gulps of water. "Why are you hanging out with Bruce so much recently? I mean it's cool! I get to see Rob a lot more and it's none of my business I guess, but.." Trailing off the redhead looked down with a small frown.

"It's okay Kid, don't be so stressed." Barry laughed a little, messing his hair up. "It was all kinda sudden wasn't it?" humming a little to himself, the scarlet speedster chuckled. "He wanted to help out, knew that I was taking the divorce kinda hard, and then we kinda became friends."

"I guess it was around then that he started to pop up a lot." Wally nodded, and then looked at him with an almost sad expression on his face. "Be careful, Barry. Daddy Bats is cool but… I dunno, he always seems so distant from everyone. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Barry looked down at him, a little shocked. Taking a drink he wrapped an arm around the younger speedsters shoulders and smiled softly. "Don't worry Kid, I'll be alright."

"Okay." Wally laughed a little, and returned to his normal self, though Barry couldn't help but worry. Maybe Wally was more like him than he previously thought.

*Approximately 8:00PM*

When the two of them returned to Wayne Manor, they were coated in ice and snow, laughing as they tried to get out of their snow clothes at the doorway.

"That snowstorm was crazy!" The older speedster chuckled, trying to keep all of their slowly melting clothing in one pile.

"I know right! We're gunna have to do that again!" The redhead grinned and shook out his hair.

"I'm assuming you two had fun." Bruce chimed in, leaning on the wall with a drink in hand. There was a smirk on his face, and neither were really sure how long he had been there. The detective seemed to be halfway ready, only missing the suit coat and his mask.

"Yeah, we did." Barry grinned and shook the frost out of his hair as well. "What time is it? You seem awfully dressed up, am I late?" He asked, a small bit of panic in his voice.

"Only a little, but we never really gave you a time." Bruce chuckled, "We're also leaving a little early."

"Ah crap!" Barry Instantly started running their snow clothes to the washer, and made sure to start them. He then sped up the stairs, and started to change as fast as he could while not forgetting to put anything on.

Wally looked at Bruce, confusion coloring his features. "Wait, late for what?"

Bruce looked at the redhead, remembering that he and Barry decided to not tell the kids just yet. They weren't sure what tonight was going to be like, it was only the first date after all. "I asked Barry to come with me to an event. It's going to be rather boring, and I thought that he might find some of the more scientific aspects interesting." He explained.

"Oh... " The redhead frowned, and looked at Barry as he came down the stairs.

In almost no time at all he managed to get on the white and red suit, and fix his hair so it looked more formal. The suit seemed to fit him perfectly, though he could have done with more room in the thigh and hip area.

"Barry, why didn't you tell me that you were going to a party tonight?" Wally frowned, looking at him.

"Oh shoot Kid, I'm sorry I completely forgot!" Barry sighed and walked over. "I just sort of assumed I told you earlier." smiling sheepishly the blonde ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you though. I asked your parents and they said you can stay here with Dick for the weekend! So I'll see ya when we get back and then tomorrow we can hang out again."

"Really?!" Wally's eyes widened, "That's so cool!" He grinned, and looked at Bruce "Thanks Bats!" He waved before running off to find Dick.

Shaking his head, Bruce set the drink down with a small smile. Walking over to Barry, he rested a hand on the mans back. "You spoil that Kid you know?"

"I know," Barry smiled, looking at him and a slight blush on his cheeks from the change in atmosphere. "I hurried you know, you should get yourself all finished up." He teased lightly.

"Well, I feel like I should tell you we're not in a huge rush. We're only leaving early so I can take you to dinner." Bruce smirked, looking Barry over. He never thought that seeing another man in a suit would excite him as much as it was right now.

"You really are outdoing yourself Mr. Wayne." Barry shook his head, his eyes widening a little when Bruce pulled him a little closer.

The thought of kissing seemed to be crossing Bruce's mind, and Barry had to admit he wanted to as well. However, how to explain that if Dick or Wally were to run up to say goodbye.

It was that thought that had them drift apart, a nervous and excited smile on both of their faces.

"I'll go get my coat on, and we can head out." Bruce stated, walking past the speedster while his hand lingered if only for a moment.

Bruce's POV

After gathering their things and making sure that they had all that they needed, the two heroes checked on Wally and Dick, the two offering a short goodbye since they were preoccupied by some loud and violent game. Sighing they both just looked at each other and left, saying goodbye to Alfred as they did so.

When they were in the car (one of the faster ones for Barry's sake) Barry tried to get out of him what his mask looked like, and where they were going to eat.

"Oh come on, just one hint!" Barry almost whined, looking over at him. "The restaurant can be a surprise, but I'm dying over here!"

"I technically already gave you a hint, you just didn't put two and two together." Bruce chuckled, passing a few people before the lane merged and they entered town.

"When?!" Barry prodded, looking at him with wide eyes. "I don't remember this!"

"You'll get to see it soon enough." Bruce looked over at him after they pulled into a restaurant that seemed almost completely empty.

Looking at where Bruce had taken him, Barry immediately turned to the billionaire. "This is way too fancy Bruce you can't be serious! I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"No you won't, you look like you belong at a place even better than this one. Now come on." Bruce stated with a smile, sliding out of the sports car, and walking over to get Barry's door without warning.

Barry's face was beat red, and he stepped out mumbling about being sappy and such.

Bruce simply chuckled and took Barry's arm, walking up to the place. It was surprisingly quiet, no paparazzi, not many cars either.

"This place seems pretty dead for a saturday night." The blonde commented as they walked in, the man at the door greeting them and motioning towards the dining room.

"Well, I own it, and might have taken the main dining room just for us." Bruce looked at Barry, a small sheepish look to his eyes. "I wanted us to not have to worry about much, I know you haven't even told Oliver about the divorce, let alone us."

Barry looked at him, his eyes wide as the detective led him to the only table in the center of the room, his chest swelling. "Bruce…" He trailed off, a smile on his face. "You're pretty sappy you know that?" the blonde took a seat in the chair that the Dark Knight was holding out for him.

"Let's keep that our little secret." Bruce smiled softly, sitting down as the waiter came out with a bottle of wine.

They spent so long talking, just talking. There were the small awkward moments in the beginning, but they didn't last very long at all. It was easy to fall into a rhythm of topics, one flowing into another the whole time.

Bruce found himself enjoying their time rather than worrying about it. It was much different than any other date he had been on, and all he could do was chalk it up to Barry himself. The blonde seemed to make everything move more smoothly, cause all of the problems in the world to just stop.

Before they knew it, the food was gone (and not just because Barry was a bottomless pit), and the waiter was coming up to them.

"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Wayne, but I was told to tell you when it reached ten." He looked a little nervous, unsure of what it meant to interrupt the billionaire.

Looking over, it was clear to see when he changed from Bruce Wayne to the playboy the world saw. "Oh, look at that." He grinned, "Thank you, I'm glad I told them to let me know or we would have missed the party." Winking he gave the man a wad of cash before standing and taking Barry's hand to take him with. "Keep the change"

With that they started to walk away, the waiter's eyes growing to the size of the moon.

Barry sighed and shook his head as Bruce wrapped an arm around him, a hand resting on his waist. The billionaire waved to everyone as they walked out, complimenting them all on their work.

A rather loud yelp left the blonde as Bruce finally seemed to muster his courage, his hand firmly gripping the speedsters behind. Barry looked at him with wide eyes and a red face just as the doors closed behind them, the detective leaning in close.

"I've wanted to do that all night." He whispered before taking Barry to the car and opening the door for him once more.

Barry got in and could hardly believe what was happening. It seemed that until that point, he really hadn't thought too much about this being an actual date. When Bruce got in the driver's side and started the car, Barry looked at him and smirked a little. "If that's how it's going to be, tonight will be fun."

"It really will." the Dark Knight agreed, pulling out of the parking lot and heading to what was surely going to be the most interesting night of his life.

Barry's POV

Now Barry had gone to exactly three parties as formal as the one Bruce was taking him to, and the close they got, the more nervous he was. What if they all saw through the fancy suit and mask? Would all the rich look down at him as some beat cop? Hell he wasn't even a cop really, he was a C.S.I.

As he was thinking the Blonde presumed that his leg started to bounce nervously, because suddenly Bruce's hand was on it.

"Calm down, you don't need to worry so much." Bruce smiled a little, looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Even if they do realize that you're not a bigshot like them, the moment they find out that you work at the police station you'll have their respect."

"I'm still going to be nervous." Barry laughed a little, but did feel a little bit better.

The rest of the drive was silent, the speedster holding Bruce's hand while it rested on his leg. It was nice, and incredibly relaxing. Honestly the fact that the detective was so incredibly relaxed was doing wonders for calming him down.

However as they got closer, and suddenly there were cars and paparazzi everywhere, all of those nerves came back. What were they going to tell the cameras? How was this going to play out now that they were technically on a date?

However it seemed that Bruce had already thought of everything, and pulled out two masks, one black and one white. "Here," He had a small smile on his face, "You get to see it a little early." glancing over, the dark haired male seemed rather proud of himself. "I figured we could wear them on the way inside."

Barry accepted the mask and couldn't help but feel absolutely stupid. In his hands was a rabbit mask. It was white, red, and black like the outfit the billionaire had essentially picked out for him. "It's amazing Bruce, I love it." He grinned, and put the mask on. "What are you gunna be then?" He asked curiously.

"I felt like a bat would be a little too suspicious, so I went with something different." Bruce chuckled, and put on a mask that resembled a wolf. He stopped in front of the valet parking, and got out, walking over to open the door for Barry and taking his arm. "Just ignore them all, we just want to walk in and hand the invitation over."

"Okay," The blonde nodded, holding onto Bruce as they handed their keys to the man, and then began their walk inside.

The cameras flashed, making it kind of hard to see where they were going. There were people yelling out, trying to get their names, asking who they were. It was like a frenzy, the paparazzi closing in on them, the big mystery of the event.

However Bruce remained completely silent towards them, taking somewhat long strides until they entered. Standing just inside the door there was a man accepting invitations, Bruce handing him theirs with a few bills attached as he lifted his mask a little. "Discretion please." He said with a charming smile before placing the mask back on.

"Of course, enjoy yourself." He nodded with wide eyes, the poor sap seeming rather shocked and at a loss for anything else to say.

They both chuckled a little before walking in. It was almost like walking into a fairy tale, accept the dress was different of course. People all over were laughing and enjoying themselves, drinking their wine or champagne and some dancing in the middle of the large room.

"Wow…" Barry breathed, looking around with wide blue eyes. "This is so cool, I kinda feel like I'm in a fairy tale." he laughed.

"Well I am the Dark Knight." Bruce smirked, looking down at him.

Barry just shook his head, letting out a loud laugh. "Oh god that's so bad!" He covered his mouth, leaning on the other.

"I learned from the best." He chuckled, walking with Barry to the sprawled out food display. He also managed to grab two glasses of champagne and handed one to the blonde.

"Even the glasses are fancy, this is crazy." The speedster chuckled and took a sip. He looked around, all of the higher class that ruled Gotham dressed their best.

"Barry?" The familiar voice made him stop and almost choke, his eyes going wide.

"Oli! W-What are you doing here?" Barry laughed, turning to look at one of his best friends.

"Well I know the Woman running this event personally, she contacted me wondering if my family's company was interested in donating." Oliver stated, raising a brow behind his rather simple mask. "Did you come with Iris or something?"

The speedster laughed nervously and tried to think of any excuse at all for him to be in the room. Bruce seemed to hear what was going on because he had his back turned to them, glancing over to keep an eye on the scientist.

"Ah, well… Okay Oli can I tell you something?" He asked with a soft sigh, pulling the man a little closer. "I've been keeping it to myself because I was afraid you'd all act differently towards me…"

"Barry… you're not… you're not cheating on Iris are you?!" The archer hissed, his eyes wide.

"No! God no…" Barry shook his head, and had to work to keep his voice down at the shock of Oliver even suggesting that. "Oli… Iris and I have been divorced for a long while now."

"Divorced?" Oliver repeated the word, looking down. He seemed to be thinking for a few moments before his eyes widened and he looked up at the blonde. "Oh Barry I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, really, she wasn't happy and she's with someone who's better for her now." Barry smiled a small sad smile, looking down.

The blonde was happy that Oliver seemed to catch on quickly, and gathered that his reaction was one that Barry had been afraid of the whole time. "Hey, I don't look at you any differently, I just get to take you out to find someone now." He grinned, nudging the blonde. "Speaking of which we can start tonight…' Trailing off, Oliver seemed to think of something. "Wait, how did you get in here?" He asked.

"Well that's the other thing…" Barry smiled sheepishly. "I uh, I don't need you to help me find a date Oli."

"Oh? Who's the poor lady? Gotta be one of those rich girls." Oliver questioned with a raised brow.

"Um… Well they're rich but, um…" Barry trailed off, looking at Bruce for help.

The billionaire took no time in walking over, resting a hand on the small of the speedsters back. "Incredibly so, afraid the female part isn't exactly right." He smirked, those icy eyes daring the other blonde to say ANYTHING he didn't like about the two being there together.

Oliver blinked, looking between them, his eyes as wide as saucers. "You two, you're-"

"Here together, that's right." Bruce nodded and continued to stare him down. "It is our first date, so if you don't mind, we'll be getting back to it and appreciate your discretion." then, tugging Barry along he walked away and to where the other guests were dancing. The Dark Knight initiated the dance, taking the lead of an awe-struck Barry.

"I can't believe you just did that." the blonde stated, moving along with the dance only because he was being led. He was in shock, but in a good way.

"I just didn't want anything to ruin the evening." Bruce shrugged. "I know that you and Oliver are great friends, but I don't want to take the chance that he doesn't agree. We can leave it until later, when I'm not trying to make tonight as perfect as I can." He admitted with a warm smile.

Barry blushed a little under the white mask, shaking his head. "Youre such a cheesy sappy little Bat." He sighed and had a small smirk on his face. "Oh, sorry, wolf this evening aren't you?"

"This evening, yeah I am." the Billionaire grinned, "And you're a quick little bunny, right in the palm of my hands." He smirked, pulling Barry close and swiping a hand over his bottom for only a moment before resuming their normal dance.

A surprised sound left the scarlet speedster, his cheeks just as red as his super-suit. "Cheeky little…" He mumbled to himself, and they simply danced together, ignoring the looks they were getting.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, they were laughing and drinking small amounts of champagne, resting on one another when they got too tired from dancing.

After Bruce put in an anonymous donation to the Birthday Recipient, they decided to leave and head back to the Manor. Holding onto one another, they made their way out, and back into the crowd of paparazzi. The flashes were more intense, more of them being added because of the mystery couple that decided to grace the birthday party with their presence.

It took so much longer, even with the security trying to hold all of the cameramen and women back. They apologized over the shouts and the calls of curiosity, but it wasn't like it was their fault. Thankfully the vallet was quick in bringing them the car, and the two heroes managed to escape without a sinch.

Laughing a little as he slid in the passenger side, Barry took his mask off once they started off. "That was crazy! Is that what it's like for you all the time?"

"Yeah, they're like rats with cameras." Bruce sighed, "No privacy, but it's really easy to make a difference."

"I guess, it kinda sucks you can't do much though. At least without having to worry about your image. Though, I guess we do that in the league every day don't we?" He thought for a moment about it as they sped through the streets of Gotham.

It was weird, with most of the villains locked up, they could relax, even if it was only for a little while. Even the drive home, after taking numerous detours and driving around to make sure they would lose anybody that might try to follow them, was peaceful. Whenever they did talk, it was easy conversation, and despite all of their differences, they really did seem to be made for one another.

When they finally arrived home, it was well past the early hours of the morning, and the two were still entirely to animated to go to sleep properly. Bruce pulled into the garage, shutting the car off, and they simply sat there for a moment.

"Should probably check on the kids huh?" Barry said after a moment, and looked over at Bruce. "So, date number two?" He asked, leaving the question open, he felt like everything had gone amazingly, and honestly didn't feel more planned dates were needed.

"In the near future, which means we should probably tell the boys, if you're okay with that." Bruce smiled at him, a genuine smile that reached his eyes.

"Definitely, so then we don't have to hide in the car to do this," And with that, the speedster leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the detective's lips.

Bruce made a noise of surprise, but went with it. In fact, he tugged Barry over to his side of the car and deepened the intentionally quick kiss.

The blonde made a noise of surprise, trying not to trip over the centerpiece and laughing a little when Bruce pulled him close. They sat there like that for who knows how long, just giving each other innocent kisses. Eventually Barry pulled back, licking his lips.

"As much as I would love to sit here and do this forever, we should probably head inside." The speedster chuckled and opened the door.

"I suppose so," Bruce sighed, his hands resting on those toned legs. "We don't want to move too fast after all." Those icy eyes met Barry's soft ones, and he smiled a little. "Go check on them, I know you're dying to."

Smiling sheepishly Barry pecked him on the cheek "Goodnight Bruce," And with that he was off, finding the two sidekicks sleeping in the game room and tangled in junk food, soda cans, and themselves.

The two hero's went to bed in their respective rooms, but not without a small kiss before doing so.

(A/N) HOLY CRAP GUYS IM SORRY I SUCK

I know that this chapter has been WELLLLLL overdue and I can't help but thank all of you for sticking around with me! Seriously, you are amazing and I want you to know that ;3

I am also really pleased with this chapter, and hope you all enjoyed it and it was what you hoped for.

NEXT CHAPTER: Everyone is going to know, at least, everyone who matters, so I hope you all stick with me for that


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